Little Sakura
by iMissNothing
Summary: Sasuke's perspective of various moments with Sakura over the course of the series.
1. Chapter 1

As his eyes snapped open he felt born again. There was a violent energy coursing through his entire system. It was a power like anything he had experienced before. Raw tainted power right at his very fingertips, making him feel as though he could conquer and destroy anything in his path. It seemed to exude from his very pores shaking the earth and twisting the air around him. It was intoxicating to Sasuke, who for so long had ached to possess a power such as this.

The dark chakra seemed to wind around him as he pulled himself to stand. He could vaguely hear voices surrounding him but the were indistinguishable and muffled to his ears. Except for one. Clear as a bell his head snapped towards the direction the familiar call had come from.

"Sasuke-kun!"

He recognized that voice. He figured he would always recognize that voice, as it had followed him around persistently and been annoying him for almost an entire year now. He normally regarded the owner of said voice with vague irritation and contempt for her pestering and antics. Yet upon looking at her now all he felt was insurmountable rage.

"Sakura." He called to her through clenched teeth as he took in her current state.

Little Sakura, with her stupid pink hair and tiny feeble looking figure had no business being a ninja. Weak, frail Sakura with her big shiny green eyes that had not been exposed to the cruel and harsh realities of the world. Her entire existence shone of near blinding innocence, an innocence that had no place in the world of Shinobi. Their's was a harsh and ugly world where danger lurked in the shadows and everything was tainted in blood.

It often irritated him immensely to see the small slip of the girl prancing around calling herself a ninja with hands unsullied by death and eyes that could not fathom true pain. She came from a happy home, sheltered by loving parents and given a proper childhood. A childhood was not something given to the other members of Team 7. Everyone in the Village knew well enough of Naruto's public rejection and abuse. He endured wickedness and isolation from the city that raised him, and while he endured it with a smile on his face if one looked into the deep blue of his eyes they would recognize them as eyes that had experienced pain. The same could be said for their Sensei Kakashi. His lackadaisical attitude and ridiculous tendencies of perpetual lateness could have him written off as a quirky Jonin with a penchant for erotic novels. But if you looked past the stupid book he shamelessly had his nose stuffed into, you could easily tell that this was a broken man. A man who would religiously visit the shrine engraved with the fallen comrades he had failed to protect. A man that was tortured by the ghosts of his past, carrying the crushing weight of loss and regret on his shoulders everyday. Yes, the males of Team 7 knew pain. They had felt and lived the melancholic brutalities of being a ninja from a young age. It had stomped all over their childhood, ripping up their innocence and spitting them back out into the men they are today.

But, not Sakura. She had yet to feel the stinging backhand of the worlds unforgiving realities. Miraculously, through what could only be considered as an act of God or sheer dumb luck, the bubbly pink haired kunoichi remained heartbreakingly pure. It had become an unspoken rule to the other members in Team 7 to keep it that way. Sasuke, would sooner die than admit it but she provided a sort of light in the lives of her team members. A sort of escape from their own darkness plaguing them constantly only to be snuffed out in her presence. Her frivolity and vanity were gratingly annoying, she would complain about trivial matters like how her hair refused to cooperate with her that day or how her parents scolded her for coming home later than usual. As irksome as her whining was it provided a glimpse into a world where these were the only problems and everything was perfect, pristine, pure.

This annoying little girl was a light in the darkness of their world, and it needed to be protected. Kakashi was lenient on her training, only lightly chiding her here and there. Never pushing her to hard and giving her the easiest of the tasks during their missions. Naruto openly sang her praises and happily bounced around her simply relishing in her presence, despite receiving the odd knuckle sandwich or two on occasion. He babied her to the fullest extent always ensuring she was out of harms way tucked safely between Sasuke and himself. Naruto would never hesitate to defend her honour or lash out on her behalf when Sasuke was inconsiderate of her feelings. If she was sad he would act like an imbecile until she either laughed or got annoyed and smacked him, forgetting her sadness in her anger at the Dobe's antics.

While not as exuberant and flamboyant as Naruto, Sasuke too protected Sakura in his own way. He did not coddle her and couldn't give a damn about her feelings, but he was always aware of her. On missions he would subconsciously keep tabs on her location should he need to intervene at any point. When fighting Sakura was always to be kept behind himself or Naruto, safely guarded on the outskirts of the battle. Never to engage in any real conflict or danger. He would claim it was because she was useless and would get in the way during a fight. But really it was instinctual for him. His gut twisted at the thought of someone harming Sakura, it just seemed wrong. Like watching a flower growing in the midsts of a desolate wasteland be thoughtlessly trampled over. It was wrong.

So when Sasuke awoke to find Sakura beaten to a pulp and looking as though she had just been dragged through the fires of hell, his entire system went haywire. She was not supposed to look like that. Her silky pink locks she was so proud of littered the floor of the forest leaving behind choppy uneven tresses in their wake. Her once unblemished porcelain skin was littered with a barrage of cuts and bruises. The face that was constantly looking his way, eagerly searching for his approval and always quick to offer a sweet smile, was now marred by pain and twisted by ugly swelling. Her meek little body was crumpled over from exhaustion and she looked ready to pass out any second. This was not what Sakura was supposed to look like. For the first time since he had known her, she looked like a true ninja. But sweet, innocent, weak, stupid little Sakura was not meant for the world of ninja. As she gazed at him with those familiar green eyes half swollen shut from the obvious beating she had taken, were no longer bright with happiness or sparkling with innocence. They were wide with fear, hardened through combat and said one thing to Sasuke. Pain.

He felt it building in his body like someone had poured gasoline on a fire, rage. Pure, violent and uncontrollable rage! Someone had hurt her. Someone had showed her the pain in being a ninja. Someone had removed the blindfold of safety and security Team 7 had fought to instil. This feeble innocent little girl had been used as a punching bag and made to hurt the way ninja were built to be hurt. And Sakura was not a ninja. There was only one question on his mind from that point on.

"Who did this to you?" He asked her. Although his tone was deceptively calm only an idiot would be unable to sense the malice dripping from his words and hostility leaking from his presence.

"I did!" He heard someone to his right cockily exclaim. The tone suggested that this man was almost proud of what he had done to the little pink haired girl trembling at Sasuke's feet.

"Ah," He thought "an idiot." His sharingan snapped towards the fool who had so eagerly signed his death warrant. The fucker was smiling. Sasuke felt the rage within him spike before bleeding into a source of sustenance for this new found power he was itching to unleash. It seemed the fates had provided him with a perfect target. He vaguely registered the presence and clamouring of others but he paid them no attention. Everything else was blurred out through his haze of anger the only thing in focus being the smirking ninja who had desecrated upon the unspoken rule in Team 7. This putrid scum thought he could besmirch the light in those green eyes, leave marks on that delicate white skin, shred the well-groomed locks of pink and then brag about it to Sasuke's face. How very, very foolish.

He felt a burning, itching sensation crawl across his skin as the black markings creeped their way across his body. Almost as if they were reacting to the building vicious thoughts towards the man in front of him and with it came more power. The power encouraged his violent fantasies, hissing with glee at his rage and seductively crooning from him to hand himself over to it. To embrace the hatred festering within him, like Itachi had always wanted. To relinquish control of his logical mind and simply destroy those that crossed him with the abandon and ferocity of a wild beast. To get REVENGE. The euphoric high of possessing such strength allowed him to experience a moment of clarity in which everything seemed to fall into place. He was granted an epiphany of his true purpose in life. To become an avenger, hunting those who had wronged him like prey before slaughtering them in cold blood to right the wrongs they had wrought upon him. He was an avenger, and he would avenge Sakura.

He watched as the man raised his arms in some form of attack, bragging to his nervous looking comrade he would end this fight in a single blow. Sasuke twisted his features into a smirk as the bandaged man did not seem to share his partners confidence.

He had always been fast even during the Academy days, but this agility Sasuke felt seemingly gliding towards his destination, this was speed. Under normal circumstances the Sound ninja's attack was a force to be reckoned with. It boomed a mighty blast and was fast as the sound it projected, but Sasuke was lightening. Before the ninja could finish announcing the name given to his jutsu Sasuke had vanished. It all happened in less than a second but to Sasuke everything seemed to be in slow motion. He whipped towards the Dobe grabbing him by the collar of his signature obnoxious jumpsuit and tossed him out of harms way in an instant, before turning to the female member of his team. He watched as her eyes widened in fear of the oncoming danger and she began to curl into herself in hopes that her twig like would protect her. Silly Sakura he was here to protect her now. He was powerful enough to protect them all. Before she could register what was happening Sakura was scooped up into his arms before being gently deposited safely beside Naruto.

Sasuke watched with a sick sense of glee as the fool was arrogant to come to the conclusion he had blasted them all away.

"Not quite." He uttered appearing by his opponents side before striking a fist out that sent the Sound user tumbling across the floor. Turning to face his fallen foe Sasuke proceeded to demonstrate exactly why it was unwise to harm the people under his protection. Zaku didn't stand a chance. Within seconds the once arrogant ninja who revelled in his abuse of Sasuke's teammate had become a simpering heap in the dirt. His arms wrenched at a punishing angle held in an ironclad grip by the avenger digging a foot painfully into the base of his spine. The battle was over but Sasuke was far from done. As he held the wriggling rat's arms in his grip a wickedly twisted idea began to form in his head. These were the arms that had harmed Sakura. That had punched and bruised and beat the little pink headed girl that he had so painstakingly looked out for all these years. These were the arms that had forced her to be a ninja and bled fear into her arms. Well Sasuke was going to show everyone exactly what happened to arms that did ugly things to innocent little girls. A sick deranged smile wound its way across his features.

"You seem very proud of these arms." He hissed, and a look of horror came over the mans features as he realized exactly what the marked boy intended to do. Looking up at the man restraining him he knew he would find no mercy in those cruel eyes the colour of the very blood they called for.

There was a nauseating sharp crack followed by a screech of pain almost inhuman, more resemblant of a dying animals cry that sang of a torturous agony. To Sasuke it sounded musical, like the sweetest symphony reaching a breath taking crescendo. There were collective gasps mixed with shock and horror at the brutality of his actions but it mattered not to him. He had addressed the urgent matter at hand, dishing out the most well earned punishment swiftly and savagely. Oh but he was far from finished. The strange bandaged man shrinking away from him in fear and the unconscious Kunoichi at his feet had played some part in Sakura's injuries, and he would make them suffer a hundred times over for each one they had bestowed on her.

He strides towards them as a lion would towards a gazelle with a wounded leg. Fully intent on making what he had done to the limbs of their teammate look like child's play. They had broken the rule, they had crushed the flower beneath their grimy boots and laughed as if he would do nothing about it. He may not have been able to protect her today but he sure as hell could make sure they would never even think of coming anywhere near her and her light again. Even from a distance he could tell Sakura was shaking, he could hear the faint chattering of her teeth and feel the agitated nature of the little chakra she had left. She was afraid. These people had made her afraid had threatened the bubble she had placed herself in that was reinforced with the logic her team mates would always protect her. But they didn't. They weren't able to protect her so the logical next step for Sasuke was to eliminate the source of her fear. He smiled as he registered the fear in the eyes of his prey. He hoped it was the same fear they had put in Sakura's. The dark energy hummed with approval and surged as he prepared to attack.

"STOP!"

He halted in his tracks as tiny trembling pale arms gripped him from behind, a shivering form pressed to his back. His shinobi instincts kicked into effect and the dark chakra spiked at this intrusion on his being. In his blood thirsty haze he looked over his shoulder poised and ready to attack the person daring to cling to him, only to find familiar green eyes hemorrhaging tears and dilated in sheer terror. His body relaxed as he looked down in recognition upon a familiar pink mop of hair. She was not a threat, never her.

He was a guarded person naturally and being a ninja he had honed his body to associate contact with danger. Sakura did not share this trait and was a very openly physical person she hung off his arm at any opportunity, scooted as close as she possibly could next to him without earning a scathing glare signalling that she was pushing it. On the very rare occasion he would tolerate her incessant need to be close to him, her touch proved to sometimes be soothing and reminiscent of a Mother's. He had never however thought that the occasional allowance for her ministrations would interfere with his actual instincts. He had been extremely perturbed to awaken one morning during a mission to find her comfortable nestled into his chest with his arm lounging lazily over her figure. The cramped quarters of the tent the genin trio shared made it nearly impossible for personal space especially when Naruto was sprawled out seemingly determined to occupy as much space as possible while snoring like a banshee. Truthfully Sasuke didn't blame the poor girl for subconsciously escaping the restless idiot in favour of Sasuke who slept like a log. What didn't sit well with Sasuke was how she had not even registered on his internal radar. He was a light sleeper awoken by the slightest provocation, let alone touch of another person. But, Sakura had been subconsciously inadmissible of being a threat. As he quickly twisted himself out her grasp trying not wake the sleeping girl, he supposed this subconscious neglect to be cautious of Sakura's presence was understandable. She was not an imposing figure to say the least, resembling a nymph of spring rather than a ninja. His psyche had written her off as a weak girl that could not pose any physical damage.

He had nearly scoffed at the idea of Sakura ever trying to hurt him. She practically worshiped the ground he walked on and no matter how many times he was cold or rude to her she would come right back with a vengeance to get his attention. She followed him around like puppy with eyes full of adoration. Eyes that were now absent of her signature affection and instead plagued by something else. It was not a look Sasuke was used to seeing directed at him and it made his gut twist when he recognized it. Fear. She was scared of him. He felt her quivering against his back and took in the clammy texture of the hands gripping the front of his shirt. She was terrified of him. He had seen Sakura look at him with many emotions dancing across her eyes for him to read like an open book. Affection, relief, awe, disappointment, admiration, sadness, longing he had seen them all, but never had Sakura looked at him with fear.

"Please stop." She whimpered choking over her words as she sought to reason with this bloodthirsty monstrosity that had possessed the stoic but kind boy she adored so much.

He instantly felt an overwhelming wave of nauseating guilt overcome him. He had forgotten, Sakura was innocent, too sweet and pure for violence even against those who wronged her. She was too bright to bare witness to the twisted darkness birthed from this power. It frightened the little pink haired girl he had always felt obligated to protect. This power could not exist in her world filled with warmth and happiness. This power was meant for an avenger and so Sasuke learned avengers did not protect, they destroyed.

She let out a soft whimper as his Sharingan bore into her own green eyes still softly spilling tears. The sound felt like a punch to his stomach and the fire of his rage that had seemed unstoppable and all consuming fizzled out to nothing with her tears. Like a match extinguishing under a rainstorm, only a trail of smoke lazily creeping along until it too was taken by the wind. Sasuke, had sworn to eliminate her fears and right now that was him. Slowly the angry black marks that had crawled across his skin, fuelling the desire for destruction, receded into the mark at the base of his neck. His eyes losing their angry red and fading to their usual black.

To those watching that day there was a heavy silence in the normally lively woods, as though the forest itself had frozen in fear of disrupting this one moment. Little Sakura, with her stupid pink hair and tiny feeble arms wrapped around the previously volatile boy. Weak, frail Sakura with her big shiny green eyes had stopped the monstrous rampage of the boy who had always protected her.


	2. Chapter 2

He briefly scanned the war torn battlefield now plagued with humanoid monstrosities. His mind instinctually working within milliseconds to establish a plan of attack. Naruto stood to his right and he couldn't help but embrace the nostalgia that came with fighting at his side once again. He felt a shift in the air behind him and turned to face his old female teammate who had come to join their ranks. At last team 7 was whole again, and to Sasuke it felt right. Being reunited with his old team had automatically trigged long forgotten instincts and he found himself once again glancing at a mop of pink hair from the corner of his eye. She may not be the little girl he once knew so well but she was still Sakura. And Sakura needed to be protected.

Falling easily into old habits he and Naruto charged forward into the thick of chaos leaving their pink haired teammate in the safety of the sidelines. Protected behind their backs where she belonged. Or so he had thought.

As he and Naruto hacked and slashed through the never ending stream of nightmarish creatures he fought the instinct to turn around ensure her safety. Sakura with her pink hair and bright green eyes was not meant for the world of nin-

His thought process came to a screeching halt as one of the larger monsters went flying past him knocking over several others seemingly at the mercy of an impossibly strong force. He looked over to see Naruto with a similar dumb look on his face and was then sure he had not imagined the creature that whipped past them.

No. It couldn't be.

Yet as Sasuke quickly found out, yes. It very well could.

He and Naruto stood dumbfounded as the little pink haired ninja they coddled as children leapt past them to deliver a terrifyingly destructive blow. With her single punch hundreds of monsters were uprooted as the earth seemed to cave in upon itself.

A punch from her tiny fist had shattered the very foundation of the battlefield and in turn shattered Sasuke's image of the meek fragile girl who cried and whined at the sidelines.

It was practically comedic, and Sasuke found he could not hold back the smirk that graced his features. Even the most stoic of ninja would surely be unable to deny their amusement at the ironic juxtaposition of the kunoichi before them. This tiny little thing, with unpractical pink hair and buggy green eyes looked as sweet and non threatening as could be. Yet, this err in judgement was blatantly reinforced by the sheer brutality and destructiveness that emanated from those delicate fists. Her childish features held a soft beauty that put those around her at ease and naturally dismissed her of being a significant threat. This oversight was a deadly mistake, Sasuke thought.

She still possessed the same traits that defined her in her youth. Doe eyed, smooth skin, petite build, shiny rose hair and dainty features. But that was clearly the full extent of the similarities. Gazing at her back, covered by Konoha's standard issue flak jacket and surrounded by the dust and rubble left in the wake of her attack. Sasuke could no longer deny that this woman before him was a true ninja.

Briefly he pondered how the little girl he had left on that stone bench could have morphed into this self-assured powerhouse of a kunoichi before him. He watched those pink locks he had once found frivolous, dance in the light breeze and morph into a signature calling card of her prominence and accomplishment. In spite of himself he felt a swell of pride for his teammate.

While training with Orochimaru he had heard talk of Sakura's emergence as a medic ninja, and he could not help but find the path of a healer befitting of her. Despite her brash temper she was a gentle soul. She had never relished in harming others and Sasuke had felt something akin to contentment at the thought of her fragile hands being used for healing. Of course outwardly he had scoffed at the notion. Of course stupid little Sakura would enter a profession centralized around killing, only to become a healer. Yet, as backwards as it was it seemed inherently right.

However, never in a million years would Sasuke imagine that those same hands used for healing, could deliver a blow that would decimate all in its path and rattle the very ground which he stood upon. Never had he once felt admiration towards his pink haired team mate until now. She had become a ninja worthy of recognition, and ensured that her teammates were well aware of it.

Yet, despite her display of capability and strength. Despite witnessing her triumph of beasts nearly ten times her size. She was still Sakura.

And as Sasuke saw the massive golem emerge from the debris, towering over her slight form, he instinctually fell into his long forgotten role of protector. He immediately conjured an attack to strike down the creature that was before her, and to his right he sensed Naruto do the same.

Perhaps it was habit. Perhaps it was witnessing the jarring comparison of a monstrous beast uncomfortably close to the tiny girl. Perhaps it was Naruto's reaction that inspired his own. All that Sasuke could really account for was that despite his teammates new found strength, in the face of imminent danger in their minds she somehow reverted back to that little girl they had silently sworn to protect.

She may have been undoubtedly worthy of the recognition of a fully fledged ninja, but something about her running head first into the chaos of battle and challenging dangerous foes who would do her harm, made Sasuke's stomach twist into an uncomfortable knot. He would later write it off as nostalgia that forced him to see nothing other than the naive girl with bright wide eyes who used to hang off his arm and relied on him to keep her safe.

This new Sakura was a direct contradiction to that image, yet he could not bring himself to shake the irksome desire to snatch her up and place her back onto the sidelines where she was supposed to be. Safe. Out of harms way. Watching his back, as he fought to ensure that no foe would breach his unseen perimeter that guarded her. This new Sakura did not need to be whisked away or sheltered and protected. But that did not mean Sasuke would not do it.


	3. Chapter 3

It was time. He could feel it in the very air he breathed and was certain Naruto could as well. This would be it. Their final battle. Their intertwined paths had been leading up to this moment. For years this inevitable confrontation had been brewing, festering rivalry and conflicting ideals while simultaneously harbouring an unbreakable bond. But today would be the day he broke that bond and severed the remnants of any attachment he felt to Team 7.

He shared a weighted stare with the boy he had once come to think of as a brother and in that gaze they both knew where their battle would take place. With the confirmation of mutual understanding he began to walk towards the grounds that would harbour their stand off. Each step he took was purposeful and unwavering, reflecting his unshakeable resolve. He only faltered when he heard that voice. That stupid, grating, persistent, _annoying_ voice that seemed to haunt him wherever he went. He felt irritation at the way he let that voice halt his once steady stride. That irritation only grew at the words being delivered by that irksomely familiar tone that had somehow become engraved in the depths of his mind.

Annoying. So fucking annoying.

He was annoyed at himself for stopping to listen to the professions of unwavering love and adoration spilling from the lips of the voices owner. He was annoyed that despite the inevitability of what was to come she would still desperately confess her feelings as if they might somehow persuade him otherwise. He was annoyed at the pitying looks marring the features of the two others present. He was annoyed at the way he could picture her weeping face from the cracks in her voice. He was annoyed at her sheer stupidity in directing those feelings of love towards someone incapable of feeling anything of the sort. He was annoyed at how she thought her pretty words and optimistic promises could somehow wash away all of his suffering. And he was annoyed a small part of him wished it were so.

He let a bitter smirk creep over his features. She had changed so much over the years. Become an admirable healer, renowned through out the ninja villages. Built herself up to be worthy of bearing the title of kunoichi. She smashed boulders into dust and allowed herself to be impaled without so much as flinching. The girl on the bench was but a fleeting memory in wake of her new found prowess. Yet despite all of this a part of her held on to that naive little girl who wore her heart on her sleeve and was ruled by feelings. In the deepest parts of himself Sasuke felt somewhat pleased that a trace of the girl he had once known still remained, even if that small piece was annoying.

She had always been annoying. Annoying! Annoying! ANNOYING! No matter how many times he spurned her. No matter what he did to her. No matter how cruelly he rejected her and cast her aside. That stupid annoying voice always came back to assault his ears, drenched with affection and desperation. Hearing her sweet words burned his ears, filled his gut with nausea and fuelled him with anger and irritation.

ANNOYING!

This naive, annoying little girl was too stupid to realize that her pleas and confessions were useless to someone like him. Avengers did not love. Avengers did not live happily in a white picket fenced dream world.

He did not need her love, he refused to want her love! Yet like a blind idiot she kept handing him her heart on a platter for him to crush again!

Her devotion to him was frustratingly aggravating to him. He was tainted by hate, drowning in darkness, devoid of feeling and ruthlessly destructive. The world had shaped him to be a savage, bloodthirsty monster that lurked beneath a shinobis exterior. Naive little pink haired girls had no business loving a monster. But despite his brutal attempts to enlighten her she remained annoyingly devoted to him.

"After all this time... you're still, so annoying."

If she refused to acknowledge the monster he had become, he was now going to show her in the cruelest way possible.

His actions were unquestionably ruthless as he watched agony and shock mar her features. He watched as a figment of himself barrelled a chidori through her chest before turning away in his distaste for the sight.

It was the ultimate for of betrayal in her eyes, as he was determined to show her the savage husk of a man he had become. He was going to shred her memories of the boy from her youth and replace them with the grim reality of who he was now.

But she would later awaken with the memories of that boy intact, realizing her nightmarish end at his hands was merely a pathetic illusion meant to incapacitate her. Because try as he might, he could never bring himself to do her any real harm. Not her. Never her. He would never acknowledge it but a part of him liked having a piece of the boy he once was exists through her. She carried a memory of a boy that was separate from the monster he had become.

He could have killed her and succeeded in shattering the bonds of Team 7 he longed to rid himself of. Naruto would never forgive him and he would get the battle to the death he had wanted. But he could not bring himself to be the one to leech the life from those green eyes.

He had tried hating her. Tried hating her eyes that oozed adoration, filled with unwavering trust and unconditional acceptance. He tried detesting the sugary sweet smiles she had always sent his way, hoping some of her cheerfulness would drive away his gloomy shadows. Tried to be repulsed by her soft touches that handled him with utmost care as though he would break into a million pieces at any moment. He had tried relentlessly to hate the stupid pink haired girl who loved him. But the most he could ever bring himself to muster was... annoying.

As she collapsed their were cries of outrage from the other males at his wicked treatment of their teammate. Yet he felt no guilt in his actions. They had been necessary. He did not ask for her to love him. It was not his fault she was too daft to realize that monsters are not capable of love. He would not love her. She did not deserve whatever shallow feelings he could muster for her. He was empty of affection for anyone. All the people he loved were dead. Only hatred remained.

After this battle she would come to realize this. Whether he won or lost she would see him for what he truly was. An avenger. Avengers did not get love from stupid, annoying, pink haired girls. Avengers fought and killed. They did not have bonds or feelings.

He would shatter those lingering bonds in this battle and no voice of an annoying, love-struck idiot would stop him from heading down this path.

He could not bring himself to love nor hate her. So he would leave her on the sidelines just as he always had.


	4. Chapter 4

Calm. It was not something he had felt for a long time. Although he still often found himself plagued by the demons of his past, his travels had begun to offer him increasingly frequent moments of tranquility.

His journey of redemption was a long one. He found himself prolonging his quest to atone for his insurmountable sins as guilt and regret remained ever present. He found himself avoiding returning to Konoha for he struggled to think of it as home. While he had fond memories there during his time with Team 7, it still remained tainted in his eyes. Memories of happiness in his youth remained overshadowed by the pain and suffering the village had caused him. However, little by little he found himself coming to terms with his losses and felt a small ache to be with the few precious people he had left in his life.

Precious. That is what they were to him. He had been alone for so long and although he did not have many bonds he treasured those he did above all else. In the past fate had proven to be a cruel mistress to Sasuke, ripping away those he had cherished in the blink of an eye. He had vowed to protect his precious people and their unbreakable bonds forged through the most testing of trials. He valued each one of them equally, but one remained slightly different from the others. This one was the one that needed to be protected and cherished the most. It was more delicate and breakable than the others.

Occasionally he found himself pondering this bond in particular. He had not seen her for quite some time and would sometimes wonder if she had formed new bonds with other people. Bonds that she might come to cherish more than she claimed to cherish theirs. He would eventually inwardly scold himself for the petty ridiculousness of his thoughts. After all he had done to her, he did not deserve that kind of bond. Hell, he didn't think he was capable of building that sort of bond. She deserved someone who could be there for her. Protect her, and love her the way he sometimes wished he could. She deserved better than the shallow husk of a man he was now, lost and regretful. However, if Naruto's occasional messages were anything to go by, she seemed determined to bestow her affection on a wretch like him. He felt guilty and ashamed at the fact that her devotion to him brought a pleasant feeling along with it. He hoped she would eventually find someone else who was worthy of her devotion, but at the same time the thought of it brought a sickening feeling to his stomach.

"Annoying." He sighed.

As if answering his call not a moment later a hawk carrying a letter bearing the Hokage's seal swooped down from the sky before landing gingerly on his outstretched arm. He felt a vague irritation looking at the letter it bore, as only a few weeks prior the same bird came bearing a message requesting he return home to claim innocence in taking part in a series of attacks. Kakashi had informed him of an attack on officials that accused him of being the perpetrator. He had ignored the summoning as he was no where near the area during the attack, and therefore felt no need to involve himself in Konoha's politics to absolve himself of a crime he did not commit. He could only assume the letter he now held was another request for him to return to the village.

He lazily opened the letter, briefly skimming the contents. The words on the page nearly made his heart stop, and the paper fell from his fingers. Before the letter could even reach the grass beneath it he was already miles away, rushing at a breakneck speed towards his destination.

 _Sakura has been kidnapped._

The words made his blood run cold and he found himself whipping through the forest, the trees he passed merely a blur of green.

"That idiot!" He thought. Of course Sakura would run off getting her nose into something it didn't belong in, most likely in an effort to defend his honour.

He felt an anger bubbling in him he had not felt in some time. He was angry at Sakura for carelessly getting herself into this mess. He was angry at Kakashi for letting her do so. He was angry at Naruto for not being there to watch out for her as he had promised. And finally he was fucking enraged at whoever had had the balls to kidnap one of his precious people.

Sasuke refused to lose anymore of the people he cherished in his life. He would be damned if he let some one lay a finger on her of all people.

Arriving at his destination he burst into the laboratory, tearing the door off its hinges in his mission to get to the person standing before him.

"Sasuke!? What are yo-" The red head exclaimed dropping a beaker she was holding in her surprise at seeing the figure before her, before being cut off by his sharp bark of orders.

"Come with me. Now!" He hissed through clenched teeth, whipping out of the lab knowing she would follow.

Without hesitation she quickly scrambled to catch up to the gruelling pace he had set.

"Sasuke, what are you doing here? Did you come to see m-" She asked before being cut off again.

"Karin, I need you to find her." He said ignoring the blush that stained his companions cheeks, eyes set dead ahead.

"Who?" She questioned a look of confusion marring her features.

" _Her."_ He barked at the girl with more emphasis, irritation seeping through in his urgency.

A look of realization passed over Karin's features before being replaced with a brief flash of hurt, that went ignored by the shinobi. Quickly masking her sadness she regained a look of concentration as she began searching for the unique chakra she encountered so long ago.

She remembered the first time she saw the pink haired girl. Despite being at deaths door she remembered faintly thinking that pink was an odd hair colour for a ninja to have. Upon further consideration the girl didn't really resemble a ninja at all. She seemed too cute with her pink hair and big doe green eyes. Her skin was pale and unusually unblemished, Karin felt bitterness rise within her as she mentally compared it to her own skin that was mangled by scars and the indents of teeth. Even the girls chakra was unusual, it was a pale green and seemed roll off of her in delicate whisps like tiny rivulets of water flowing gently through a stream. She couldn't help but instinctually find it to be a soothing and comforting presence. But, what shocked Karin the most was the way Sasuke's chakra seemed to immediately react to it. The dark volatile spikes emanating from him seemed to become calmed by the green tendrils somehow naturally mixing together, flowing in hypnotic circles. The strange display baffled the red-head and she was positive the two weren't even conscious they were doing it. Never before had she seen Sasuke's chakra be quelled by anyone. It lasted but a few moments before Sasuke's chakra spiked once more becoming jagged and angry. It began pushing against the soft green lashing out in an unpredictable manner reflective of it's owners madness. The two exchanged some words that were muffled to Karin's ears, as she became drowsy from blood loss. Slowly the girl began to approach Karin giving her a better view of her girlish features. Her face would have been pretty but it was twisted in an expression that spoke of extreme agony, a kunai was shaking rapidly in the girls trembling hand. In that moment Karin understood.

"So she loves him too." She thought dazedly looking towards the sky. Her eyelids felt as though they had weights attached to them and she struggled to keep them open. Drifting her gaze back towards the pink haired girl who looked more to be a nymph of Spring rather than a ninja, she caught Sasuke's dark figure approaching from behind raising an arm to attack the girl while her back was turned.

This was not the man that she loved. The Sasuke that she knew would not want this girl dead.

"D-don't." She coughed, her plea little more than a whisper. But it was enough to grab the girls attention to whip around only to come face to face with a chidori.

Karin had blacked out after that. Only to awaken to the same pink haired girl hovering over her figure attempting to close the gaping wound Sasuke had inflicted upon her earlier. Looking up at the healers face Karin felt any prior resent for the girl dissipate into nothingness. It was frowned upon for ninja to show any type of weakness or vulnerability, yet here was this girl sobbing openly in front of a complete stranger. As her body wracked with grief and anguish her hands shook uncontrollably while performing her healing jutsu on the nearly lifeless red-head. In an uncharacteristic loss of composure Karin felt tears begin slipping out of the corners of her eyes, empathizing the shared pain with the kunoichi above her.

Upon being brought back to the village she later found out the pink haired healer was called Sakura. She thought it was a stupidly girlish name for a ninja, yet could not suit the girl more perfectly. She heard many tales about Sakura through run of the mill gossip most singing her praises and seldom a word against the girl. She was annoyingly perfect and well-liked amongst the people. Despite her resentment for the girl even Karin couldn't bring herself to hate her.

She would proudly and stubbornly attest that Sasuke's former teammate was her rival for the Uchiha's affections. But, internally Karin was well aware that it was a losing battle. He was different with her. Upon Sasuke's release from prison she had deigned to hang around Konoha for a time until his departure. In this time she was occasionally witness to the interactions between Sasuke and his former team, and Sasuke and her. He spoke to her more so than others, and seemed to appear calmer in her presence. She would occasionally see the two walking around together with their other dopey blonde teammate. The two vibrantly coloured haired members would be chatting away about something or another while, their dark haired counterpart seemed content to silently linger a step or two behind them. She watched as he seemed to tense up and shift his path to slightly hover over the petite girl, when a group of shinbone seemed to get a little too close for comfort. It was like watching a baby chick toddling along oblivious to their surroundings, while the proverbial, admittedly intimidating, mother hen loomed overhead watching attentively for any potential threat.

It was strange behaviour from the Sasuke she was familiar with, yet at the same time it seemed to come so naturally between the two. This girl seemed to operate under a different category from everyone else in Sasuke's eyes. Although he never appeared to coddle her or shower her with any sort of blatant favouritism, he seemed to have stepped into the role of a silent protector. Always keeping a watchful eye over the tiny girl when he thought no one was looking. Apparently this protectiveness also extended to verbal transgressions against the kunoichi. Karin recalled a time she had come across Team 7 sparring with one another, after finishing with her own training session a few grounds over. She vaguely overheard the ghostly pale artist, who's name she couldn't recall, refer to the pink haired girl as "ugly". While Sakura had seemingly taken the insult in good nature, Sasuke did not. He had nearly given himself whiplash as his head snapped towards the socially inept former ANBU operative, who had dared to utter the slur. There was a distinct tightness in his jaw as he approached the boy and casually challenged him to a spar. The unsuspecting boy had accepted the unusual request with a frosty smile on his features. Karin then proceeded to watch dumbfounded with the rest of the members of Team 7 as Sasuke proceeded to beat the living snot out of the boy. Later walking home with the tiniest of smirks on his face, while a befuddled Sakura rushed to help the bloody pulp of a ninja lying in the aftermath. Apologizing profusely for her team mates excessive exuberance, baffled as to what had warranted the vicious had nearly exploded from frustration at the girls obliviousness, and with a resigned sigh left the grounds to pack her things to leave Konoha that night.

Looking at Sasuke now, as he rushed towards the direction she had pointed him in, she silently pitied the poor fool responsible for kidnapping the pink haired ninja. They were undoubtably in for one hell of a beating.

"We're getting close. I can feel her chakra about two clicks up ahead." She said struggling to keep up with the extreme pace. Only to groan as he began to double his speed. Her annoyance at his leg-burning speed, was halted as she felt a massive wave of hostile chakra signatures approaching from the West.

"Sasuke! There's a large group heading towards her location coming in from the West! I don't think they're friendly either! If we hurry we can cut them off!" She had barely finished her sentence before he vanished within the blink of an eye, leaving her dumbfounded at his sheer speed.

As he got closer to where Sakura was being held his senses picked up on the group of shinobi Karin had alerted him to. Although the term 'group' seemed to be putting it lightly. Rather it seemed to be a small army, consisting of roughly 40-60 members from what he was able to gather. Suppressing his own chakra he came to an abrupt stop as he felt what seemed to be the two members leading the large party approach his location. Waiting in the branches as the two men emerged from the brush only seconds later oblivious to the malice emanating from the renowned shinobi only a few feet away.

"Nah, I heard she's that Hokage's apprentice." He overheard the man adorning a cats mask say to the other.

"I heard she's quite the looker too. Think the boss will let us get in a ride or two, before he slits the little bitches throat?"

And that's when Sasuke saw red.

The men were dead not even a moment later. The raging shinobi above only wished he could revive them to do it all over again. For so long he had battled with himself to control the darkness festering within him. But at the twisted, now deceased, mans words any notions he may of had of controlling the rage that had been bubbling within him upon receiving the letter went right out the window.

In the world of shinobi there are battles and there is murder. Had any members of the party sent to attack Sakura lived, they would claim that this was not a battle. This was a massacre. The forest was stained red and littered with the mangled bodies that had been victim to the crushing blows of a fully formed Sussano. Black fire was scattered throughout the field and burned with an unstoppable vengeance even after devouring its victims, reducing them to mere piles of ash. The sky that had been previously bright and calm, was now over cast with a swirling mass of dark clouds rumbling with thunder and spitting out sporadic flashes of lightening.

The battlefield looked as though it had been transported straight from the 4th Shinobi War, and the sheer destruction seemed impossible given that it had come from a single man. A man who was now racing towards a hidden bunker that housed his team mate. His mismatched eyes spinning wildly and hands drenched in blood. He's was seconds away from his destination when a thunderous boom echoed across the landscape and the bunker seemed to cave in on itself, the sight halting him in his tracks. He watched frozen as a achingly familiar mop of pink hair emerged from the rubble.

She was alive. She appeared to be unscathed. He felt relief wash over him like a wave as the little kunoichi hopped out from the destroyed building before standing atop the wreckage her tiny fists had caused.

He took a moment to appreciate the sight of her, his eyes slowly fading back into their natural forms. Little Sakura.

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

The moment was shattered by an obnoxiously loud familiar call as two figures emerged from the forest. Seasick quickly teleported away from the group satisfied she would be in no further danger.

He did not want her to see him like this. Looking every bit the monster he had once been. Covered in the blood of those who had wished to do her harm.

Yet, he felt no remorse for the brutality of his actions. A twisted thought began to form from the darkest corners of his mind. He would happily become a monster if it meant that she would be safe.

Refusing to dwell any longer than necessary he quickly vanished from the area to his next destination.

As three of the members of Team 7 reunited, delighted to have their team mate back there was call for confusion amongst them as Sakura's warning of an impending army had yet to arrive. After waiting for more than an hour or so the three ninja deemed that her kidnappers threat had simply been a bluff.

It was only until they were flying over the forest on the way back to Konoha that they discovered the reason the army had yet to make an appearance.


	5. Chapter 5

It seemed befitting that she would be the first one to welcome him back into the village upon his return. Walking through the foreboding gates of the Leaf Village had seemed surreal after being away for so long.

Truthfully he had nearly recanted his descion to return to Konoha multiple times. He questioned whether or not he was ready to once again live within those walls, whether he was worthy of being embraced once again by his peers. He was paranoid with doubt he would ever be able to call the village home once again.

Yet upon looking into familiar green eyes, he was enraptured in a sense of belonging and acceptance. The emeralds that were inescapable in his youth were a comforting warmth that soothed him just as they always had. She had been predictably equal parts shocked and ecstatic to see him entering through those gates. Although it baffled him religiously how such a socially inept and generally gloomy person like him would never fail to bring exuberant joy to his team mate with his mere presence alone. It had always been that way. He could not recall ever saying anything particularly pleasant or entertaining, in fact he was admittedly a rather dull and introverted individual. Yet, little Sakura always seemed to be ecstatic whenever he was around. She never forced him to change his anti social ways, aside from a light hearted chiding when "Hn." was becoming the sole syllable in his vocabulary. However, for the most part she understood that he had never been much of a talker, but the words he did say she was one of the few who could decipher his intended context. Whether it was a clipped sentence or a simple grunt, she seemed attuned to his methods of communication as though it was her mother tongue.

Most of the time she was simply content to sit with him in silence. In Her youth she had been unbearably chatty on many occasions. As if her blabbering would constitute as a conversation, terrified of a Lul of dead air between them. Her age had brought an assuredness and self-confidence so that she no longer felt the need to nervously babble to fill the silence that he often revelled in.

He embraced that peaceful silence between them now as he stared at her form only a few feet away, rooted to her spot. Her face was a barrage of emotions visible to anyone who cared to look. It was a poor quality for a ninja to have but she possessed the skills to make up for this area of weakness. Perhaps not so much a weakness as it was a quirk when looking at her. He found himself unconsciously rather fond of this little trait. Ninja were deceitful and masked their true intentions with stoicism and lies. She could not be deceitful, least of all to him. He had seen her try once before when it had been a darker time. Her face was set in a perfect mask, jaw tight and mouth firm as she forced her voice to remain steady in her attempt to convince him of her willingness to abandon all she had ever known and follow him down his maniacal descent into darkness and misguided vengeance. In his stupor of insanity he had nearly believed her facade. Until he had peered into those green orbs that could never lie to him, and quickly saw her true intentions splayed before him as if she had shouted them across the gorge herself.

He had been furious. He was unsure why her betrayal irked him so. In his haze of madness he justified his growing anger as incredulity at the indignity someone as pathetic and weak as little Sakura thinking she would be the one to bring him down.

His twisted mind latched on to this reason and began on an erratic tangent as she spewed more filthy lies of her loyalty and devotion to him. Sneaky, wicked little kunoichi trying to trick him with her sweet words and soft innocent features. Little Sakura thinking he would be phased by her pitiful whining and begging to join him. That he would be fooled into lowering his guard so she could stab him in the back. Little Sakura who had been twisted by the leaf village, lying like a ninja and betraying him! The Leaf Village had transformed the little girl who was devoted to him alone and turned her into an enemy. She was not the same girl on the bench. This girl was a traitor who would do him harm to protect the evil Village that birthed her. Well, he would show her what happened to people who betrayed him. People who fought in the name of a place plagued with sin and corruption. A place that had destroyed everything that he loved in the cruelest way possible. Just as he would destroy her. Traitor.

His actions that day sickened him now. He would wake up screaming in cold sweat some nights. Caught in the illusion of his nightmare where Kakashi had not arrived in time to stop his chidori from impaling the little pink haired girl. He would sometimes wretch and heave as he was haunted by the memory of her horrified expression watching his jutsu barrel towards her intending to end her life. Even during his crazed aggression, as he was fully intent on killing her, that look provoked something in him. With his fist full of lightening being hurdled towards her back he had no hesitation no regrets. Then she had turned around and he was trapped by those eyes widening in horror. Although his attack was renowned as being a swift and deadly strike. Sasuke felt as though he were moving in slow motion and he watched her once again show him every thought and feeling she had through those eyes. The first he recognized was shock followed quickly by terror making itself known in her expression. In that brief moment she looked more scared and horrified than Sasuke could ever allow himself to recall, and something inside himself cringed at the sight being directed at him.

The thing that now haunted him most about that look was the way her brows seemed to be furrowed in a sort of confusion. He had seen that face many times in his nightmares so much that it was ingrained into his memory in perfect detail. He had analyzed every inch of that look and maintained that it was her underlying confusion that bothered him most. He read her eyes in that look and they seemed to scream at him "Why?"

Why was the boy who was always there to protect her doing the exact opposite now?

Why was the boy who had never so much as given her a bruise during sparring practice now wielding this brutal attack normally reserved for Naruto?

Why was the boy who she loved and trusted with every fiber of her being now her killer?

Why was this monster before her masquerading as the boy she once knew?

Why are you doing this monster? Why are you killing me like you killed my Sasuke?

He remembered all of those questions all flying across her face as he shut himself off to the gut twisting feeling and instinctual red flags that blared through out his entire body that hurting the owner of those eyes was very very wrong.

He refused to acknowledge it at the time but he felt a small flash of relief as his arm was wrenched away from his intended target. He had squashed the feeling down easily as his blood thirst for vengeance found a new target. His old sensi would make for a much more interesting battle than little Sakura. He deigned that he could finish her off after Kakashi was taken care of should he see fit. Although a small corner of his mind protested, and reasoned she was no real threat and not worth the effort anyways. He ignored the smaller part of his mind that reminded him of the sickening feeling that protested his initial attack.

He did not dwell on the thought and dismissed her as he engaged Kakashi in a battle. He was slightly frustrated at his inability to quickly squash his former sensei. His previous battle had left him drained and strained his body. His current mental state was also fragile and his attacks were volatile and fuelled by aggression. As he got the upper hand he smirked watching the man stumble forward with an outstretched hand. It was only when his failing eyesight pulled itself into a shoddy attempt at focus, he was able to make out the fear in Kakashis gaze being directed just behind him.

His mind quickly understood exactly what had the copy cat ninja flustered and his eyes widened at the implications of his own vulnerability. He had been so quick to disregard her all together, sure he had terrified her enough to remain docile above the battle. But as he heard a small squeak he recognized as a pitiful attempt at suppressing sobs. He was horrified to find pink hair pointing a kunai mere millimetres from his back. Tears were streaming down her face and her hand was shaking so much he wondered how she was managing to hold onto the thing.

Internally he took a moment to gloat. Perhaps his dismal of her was not quite the lapse in judgement that he thought had nearly killed him a moment before. It was a grave mistake to simply focus solely on one shinobi especially when aware they had a comrade. But Sasuke had done just that. To some it may have seemed like an idiotic oversight, others a deadly risk that had nearly gotten him a Kunai lodged in his back. Sasuke however knew that when it came to Sakura, there was no danger, no threat, no risk. This arrogant presumption was millimetres from being incorrect and becoming a very real danger. But as it turns out he was not wrong, Sakura could change in so many ways. She became stronger, matured as ninja, cut her hair, focused on training rather than looks. She has even sought to kill him to protect Naruto and Konoha. But the one thing Sakura could never change was her love for Sasuke. No matter what he did or what he became for some stupid irrational reason she loved him. And Sasuke knew that if she loved him even half as much as she had claimed to, she would never harm him. She may put on a brace face like a real ninja but she was just a little girl who was hopelessly in love with the boy who had the same face as this monster before her now. As long as she believed that behind that face a small part of that boy remained, she couldn't bring herself to hurt the monster he resided in.

But she had come uncomfortably close. Too close. Even in spite of his current state, It had been years since anyone had slipped past his guard. His sense wouldn't allow for it. He had crafted them to be aware of any threat visible to him or not. Yet they were not able to instinctively recognize her as being one. And that was dangerous. She may not have been able to harm him but he could not ignore the implications of his previous passivity when it came to her. He had always been soft when it came to her. When they had first found him at Orochimaru's hide out he had been merciful and suppressed his chidori's reach to avoid harming her. He had felt no need to sensley hurt her. It was only the male members he had identified as being a threat.

How could he have predicted that this tendency to shelter her from his wrath would give her subterfuge from being a threat all together. She was an annoying little soft spot that had just proved to be dangerous. He would not let this little girl have another chance at breaching his defences simply because she was an annoying weakling from his past. He did not need anyone from that village anymore. Least of all an annoying little girl who thought she could play warrior with real ninja simply because he had been merciful with her thus far. Fine. If she wanted to be a kunoichi she could die like one. He gripped her round the throats and yanked her up so she hovered above the water they stood upon. It was disturbingly easy to lift her. Her small frame was unusually light especially for a ninja. His mind protested harming something so tiny, so easily be tossed about at his whim. He yanked the Kunai from her hand finding no resistance, watching as she struggled in his grasp for air. He heard the older ninja crying out for him to stop. Kakashi always did baby her, once mentioning that she reminded him of someone from his past. He had seen Sasuke and Naruto take a beating to hell and high water, knocking with gusto on deaths door. He would throw them right into the thick of carnage without a moments notice. But, Sakura remained unscathed during missions when the jonin was present. During sparring he would rely on genjutsu and stealth to avoid actually battling the girl, knocking the boys around as he saw fit.

Yes, Kakashi too had a soft spot for Sakura. Sasuke wondered sinisterly what he would do watching her die at the hands of his star pupil. Sinking deeper into this wicked train of thought he twirled her Kunai around in his hands before raising it to her throat. Once again a sickening feeling upended him. Some long forgotten trigger firing off in his head that this contradicted a very fundamental law ingrained into him.

He pushed that feeling down with anger towards Konoha and a mind addled with grief and a shattered psyche.

He whipped the kunai out only to feel no resistance as it cut through air. The grip he had had on her was empty as he felt something pull her from his grasp. Although his eyes were decayed and produced little more that blurs, they widened in recognition at the flash of yellow and orange whipping past, carting a blur of pink in tow.

He strained them to focus in on the figure despite alreadying knowing exactly who it was.

There stood Naruto looking every bit the hero with Sakura cradled in his arms a stunned look on her face as she worked to catch up with what had just happened and how she was not dead by his hand.

"So he gets to be the hero now." Sasuke thought with a scoff. He must be relishing in his former role. Like many things rescuing Sakura had become a sort of competition between the two. They had always taken care to watch out for their only female member but some how along the way there was a kept score of who got to play the hero. Most of the time it was Sasuke. He would catch her if she fell, shield her from any enemy, swoop in and save the day at the perfect moment. He had originally begun this trend of playing the night in shining armour to piss off Naruto. He would be furious and fume for the rest of the mission as Sakura fawned all over Sasuke raving about his bravery and ability. He would of course brush it off as nothing special and ignore her gushing praise. Only when no one was looking he would catch Naruto's eye and give his trademark cocky smirk. This would send the dobe on a tangent, vowing to be better than Sasuke, usually ending with a punch from Sakura. Eventually though, the stupid competition became an obligation to look out for the pink haired girl. They looked out for her regardless of who received credit for doing so. Their team had a habit of landing neck deep in trouble. Trouble that could get you killed if you weren't a prodigy or a jinchuuriki. She was not built for this sort of trouble but she followed them into it anyways. She was their teammate and they would protect her with their lives if she couldn't. She was not a progidy or a jinchuuriki or a copy cat ninja. But she was Sakura, and she was theirs. The stupid, annoying girl who was always quick to offer them a smile and shine a little light on the dark world of ninja.

Naruto gently set her on her feet giving her some funny inappropriate annecdote to make light of the situation. He gave her a small smile hoping to help soothe her from the deadly experience. Assuring that she was now safe again in his presence. The blond boy rose to his feet in front of the tiny trembling girl. To her he appeared almost godly, radiant and warm as ever. Towering over her form and shielding her from the dark twisted creature that had been their team mate.

As Naruto turned to face Sasuke there was a malicious glare on his face, hints of the demon he housed peeking through in his piercing gaze. Sasuke knew exactly what he was saying with that glare.

You have committed a grave sin. You're going to pay.

Sasuke had later asked Naruto why he had not tried to kill him that day.

"You were so lost and misguided. I pitied you in a way. The guy I grew up with wouldn't have ever dreamed of hurting Sakura-chan." He had said. "But Sasuke, while you saw my anger in that glare, I saw something buried underneath all that crazy in yours. Guilt. You didn't meet my eyes at first," he continued in a somber tone reminiscing on his own perspective.

He had been furious, Sasuke could be forgiven for a mountain of shit but this was a very serious line being crossed. He had been ready to tear the bastard to bits. But after turning to face his former comrade he was quelled by the sight befor him. The dark haired boy whipped his head in the other direction upon meeting get his gaze a tight grimace on his features before a split second later composing himself and glaring back at his former friend with eyes drowning in madness. But in that instant Naruto saw it, anyone else who didn't know Sasuke may hav easily over looked it but not Naruto. It had only been for a moment but he had seen shame. Perhaps Sasuke hadn't realized it himself but Naruto knew that face well. He had seen it when Sakura discovered that Sasuke had not been the one to save her from Gaara. He saw it when he'd got his ass handed to him by Lee in his green jumpsuit. And he saw it now as he avoided the gaze of his teammates glancing over to his hand still clenched as if it were still holding a tiny pale neck in its grasp.

"I've never known you to back down from a staring contest teme." He'd joked.

While Sasuke himself couldn't recall whethe or not he had felt guilty after his second attempt on their team mates life. Most of that encounter was a disturbing blur, both from a haze of instability and rage. As well as his eyes nearly useless at that point. Regardless he sure as shit felt guilty about it now.

He had never brought up that day with Sakura. Partially because he'd hoped that it was encompassed already in his initial apology. The other part of him did not wish to remind her lest she suddenly realize his true nature and go running for the hills, or in a more realistic sense, those memories might give her reason to show him that face that already plagued his nightmares.

looking at her now it appeared fear was the furthest thing from her mind. A moment later she had rushed up to his side, her eyes big and watery and bottom lip trembling. She stood before him fidgety and seemed to be restraining herself from unleashing years of pent up emotions on him all at once.

Sakura, always with her heart on her sleeve. Eagerly handing it over to anyone who asked. He couldn't understand why she chose him to bestow it on. He hadn't asked for it but she gave it anyways. He had broken it countless times but she just fixed it righ back up to hand it to be crushed all over again. Again and again devoted to him with an unbreakable resolve. He knew she deserved better than a criminal, emotionally damaged wreck who had tried to kill her on occasion. What kind of life could he offer her? How could she ever be able to forgive everything he has done?

but here she was her green eyes betraying every inkling of love and trust and affection she felt for him.

Sasuke sighed at how utterly hopeless she was considering it was one of the most basic principles of being a ninja. But he had put her through enough and he supposed he could humour her this once.

Slowly he extended his lone arm to his side as an invitation for a embrace. She blinked once. Twice. Shocked that she wasn't misunderstanding his offer. He gave her a slight nod and she leapt for him arms around his neck on her tippy toes sobbing into his chest while he simply wrapped the arm around her and rested his chin on her pink locks. This felt like home.


	6. Chapter 6

Sasuke let out a heavy sigh as he walked down the bustling streets of the Leaf Village. He had been back from his travels for almost a month now. It felt nice to be in Konoha once again. Although it had changed so much he barely recognized it as the place he has grown up. It sometimes felt alien to him. Perhaps it was just his own feelings of discomfort staying in one place for so long after years of being a nomad. However, he was convinced the village itself was different. Physically it was foreign after being rebuilt from the ground up after Pein's attack years ago. Yet it was the overall community that was most jarring for Sasuke. Naruto was now married and regarded as a celebrity. The people who had once rejected him and cursed his very existence now sang his praises and revered him as a hero. His old Sensei was now the Hokage and rarely had time to read his smutty books that he loved so much. There was a certain sombreness at times as people were still healing from the losses experienced in the war, but this was blanketed by optimism for the future and there was a sense of co-operation through out the shinobi nations. It was a time of peace, rare in the world of ninja. Although peace did not nessecarily mean a complete lack of conflict. There were still radicalists popping up occasionally, petty criminals hoping to take advantage of vulnerabilities from the devastation of war. The war itself had been on such a destructive scale some civilians had condemned shinobi entirely. Sasuke was often subject to the grievances of such civilians who were familiar with his role in the war. Occasionally a brazen ninja or two would search him out for a fight. Hollering he was a traitor and a criminal or something of that nature. While his former team mates had quickly silenced these claims and accredited him with stopping the war itself, many still regarded Sasuke as a threat. While he was tolerated in the village, civilians and ninja alike remained wary of his presence and often kept their distance. Not that he really minded he was a isolated person by nature.

Perhaps the largest change he witnessed was his former pink haired team mate. The little girl with few skills to speak of had made quite a name for herself locally and across the other ninja communities. She was a renowned healer, formidable ninja and had recently begun work on establishing clinics for children affected by the war. She was well loved by civilian and ninja alike as the people sang her praises and gushed over her sweet nature and humble disposition. He was unabashedly proud of her skill and accomplishments but over the past month, to Sasuke, she remained annoying. He scoffed at the irony that of all the things that had changed in Konoha, Sakura Haruno being annoying had not. She wasn't annoying herself per say. She no longer clung to him and gabbed him to death as she had in her youth. In fact he found her rather pleasant to be around. She was calm, focused, pleasant in his company and knew him well enough to tolerate his minimal conversations. No Sakura was not intentionally annoying herself. What had irked Sasuke was this new found ability she possessed to attract pests wherever she went.

It was infuriating to say the least. He had first begun to notice it the first few weeks after being released from prison. Naruto, Sakura and himself would be wandering around the streets the two of them chatting about something or another while he was content to listen. He had begun to tune out Naruto's overzealous tale of how he had helped to design the new ramen menu at Ichiraku when he noticed a small group of shinobi coming their way from the opposite direction. He didn't think much of the group as they neared, until he caught them staring quite intently in their general direction. Following the line of their gazes he landed on Sakura happily chattering away with Naruto oblivious to the stares she was receiving.

He was confused for a moment as to why this group was staring down his team mate. He vaguely wondered if they knew her, before his attention was caught by one of the men elbowing the other with a stupid looking grin on his face as he made a gesture towards the girl strolling along in front of Sasuke. Seemingly unaware of the attention she was receiving.

Now Sasuke was not blind, anyone could see that Sakura was pretty. The thought had simply never crossed his mind that other men might notice this as well. Let alone a pack of them. She had never attracted this sort of attention when she was younger aside from the weirdo in the green jumpsuit. This blatant ogling of his team mate sparked irritation in him as he watched the idiots fumble all over each other sneaking glances as they passed the group. However, even after they had passed he still felt their slimey gaze on his back or more accurately his team mates back. He glanced over his shoulder and saw a few of them had stopped and were now watching Sakura with a dazed look smeared across their features. He noticed their gazes were particularly low and felt his irritation grow. Sakura was far too naive, and oblivious to be catching the eye of these letchers. He would be damned if he let her get get involved with one of these idiots. Sakura who wore her heart on her sleeve was like a sheep in a wolfs den. He may not deserve her but neither did they.

Catching the gaze of the creeps he gave his most menacing glare and let his visible eye bleed into a foreboding red. He felt a sick sort of satisfaction as he watched the colour drain from the men's faces.

They had quickly scrambled off but Sasuke soon found out this was hardly a rare circumstance. He began to notice more and more of the stares being sent her way. Each one putting him in an increasingly foul mood. When had this behaviour begun? Exactly how long had it been going on for? Had it happened while he was away? Hadn't the done noticed this behaviour? Why hadn't she noticed?!

Over the course of his time in Konoha he was becoming increasingly annoyed with the dopey eyed idiots that seemed to trail along wherever she went. Furthermore he was growing incredibly annoyed at her ignorance of it all! She dismissed the men who were gutsy enough to approach her as simply being friendly. She didn't notice the leers when she walked by.

"Maybe she's used to it." He thought horrified.

This obliviousness to all of it had drove Sasuke into a self appointed role of a terrifying pest exterminator. On a positive note his menacing glares that promised a painful threat. Seemed to be acting as a deterrent. Yet it seemed his work was never done. It was damn near exhausting but he felt he owed Sakura this much. He had personally stomped all over her heart one too many times and he was now determined not too let anyone ever do so again. Least of all these pests.

He had briefly entertained the thought of who might be suitable to look after his pink haired team mate. Naruto was married now, Kakashi was an old pervert. And that Sai creep... well Sasuke just didn't like him. He thought he might be going crazy with the ridiculous path of his thoughts but it was proving to be a pressing issue.

The man would have to be a ninja obviously. A strong one at that. Someone as strong as him or Naruto. That left very slim pickings granted but he needed to be sure she would be protected. Most of the ninja from his class were either married or weird. He'd caught that dog faced mutt chatting with her once but at a glance Sasuke determined he simply wouldn't do and proceeded to drag Sakura off for an urgent training session.

"What's got your panties in a twist teme!?" Asked Naruto scarfing down his bowl of ramen next to him. The dobe had dragged him here after their training and he had once again found himself pondering this delima with Sakura.

"Whatever dobe." He replied still lost in his thoughts. She deserved the best. She was smart strong kind. She'd be an excellent Mother someday her work at the clinic was a testament to her gift interacting with children. She was loyal, hard working and cared for everyone she met.

"Are you getting all pissy again cause Sakura-chan's a boy magnet now?" The idiot beside him crooned with a shit eating grin slapped on his face.

So he had noticed the pests. Little shit wasn't doing anything to help him either.

"I don't see you doing anything about those lechers." He grumbled while shooting his companion a scathing glare. To his surprise Naruto let out a booming laugh.

"Oh no no no! Nice try it's your turn now. I've been doing it for years while you were out galavanting through the trees! Nuh uh! It's your turn now! Although I will say you're doing a much better job than I ever did. That Uchiha glare is proving very effective! They don't even go near her when your around!"

This had been happening while he was away!? Years!? Shooting up from his stool he quickly went to find his pink haired problem.

"Sasuke where are you going!?"

It was then and there Sasuke realized what he must do. If he couldn't keep them away from Sakura, he would simply keep Sakura away from them.

Arriving at her front door he knocked twice, hearing movement inside. The door opened to reveal his short haired companion.

"Sasuke what are you doing here?"

"I'm leaving in two days. Pack your things your coming with me."


	7. Chapter 7

At first she had been baffled by his abrupt proposal. He found it to be fairly spontaneous himself. While he had been planning to go off travelling once again he had intended to once again travel alone, leaving in the next month or so. However circumstances he felt needed to be addressed had altered these plans and he now found himself staring at an understandably confused kunoichi. She had yet to say anything seemingly processing this strange behaviour from the Uchiha.

He felt himself growing irritated with her lack of response and he scoffed in annoyance at his need to elaborate.

"You have a day to get your things in order. I'll meet you at the front gate at dawn the following morning. Bring only what you need we won't be back for a while."

His voice seemed to pull her from her trance and she struggled to find words.

"I- I'm going with you? Where are we going? Is it a mission or-" he sighed at her rapid fire uestions and cut her off before she could continue.

"It's not for a mission. I'm leaving to travel again. Last time you asked to come with me. If you still want to, you can join me. I don't know where we're going or for how long, but I'll be gone in two days with or with out you." At that he proceeded to turn to leave her door step.

"Sasuke-kun?"

He paused his steps with his back still facing her.

"Thank you! I'll see you at dawn."

He let a small smirk tug at his mouth befor continuing his steps.

"Hn."

As the morning of departure arrived Sasuke waited by the gates for Sakura to arrive. It was a small fair well party of only Naruto and Kakashi but he preferred it this way.

"Hey teme why'd you ask Sakura to come with you?"

He paused a moment to consider his answer.

"She's better off with me for now. You've got a wife and none of the losers around here can look after her." He replied casually.

"Hah! You're full of shit teme!" The blonde laughed before giving him a heavy stare. "Take good care of her okay Sasuke. Don't hurt her again."

"Hn."

He'd been travelling with Sakura for roughly two months now. It was hardly luxurious having to sleep outside most nights, and the weather hadn't been favourable. Yet, Sakura hadn't uttered a single peep of complaint. She had been rather chipper the entire trip thus far. She was a rather good travelling companion. Not too chatty, never whining over their living circumstances and she was helpful around camp. Her healing had proved useful on occasion even if she kept trying to convince him to drink concoctions that tasted like dirt. He felt bringing her along had proven to be a good choice. He justified that this way he was able to keep an eye on her until she came across someone suitable. That could take care of her. However, the more they travelled together the more Sasuke found himself hoping that day would not come.

He had been alone for so long. It was comforting to have someone by his side. It was nice to have her by his side. He tried to stray from that train of thought but as time went on it had proved much harder. He liked having her close by. He began to realize that his original reason for bringing her along was starting to wear thin. He liked having her fall sleep next to him while he tended the fire. He liked their training sessions with one another and seeing her become giddy when they found a location isolated enough for her to unleash those destructive fists. He liked how she would sometimes chatter away about nonsensical things, and he liked how they could simply sit in silence enjoying each others company without feeling the need to fill it with words. He liked how her pink locks would bounce around whimsically when they kept through the trees. He liked how her big green eyes would light up when they travelled to somewhere she had never been. He found himself taking detours just to show her somewhere he knew she would like and see those eyes light up all over again. He liked waking up earlier than her to sometimes find she had curled up right next to him in her sleep. He never told her but he liked lying there with her for a few moments before detaching himself to start the morning fire. He liked having her there during his nightmares. At first he had refused to speak to her the next morning, ashamed of his night terrors that had left him screaming and thrashing waking her up immediately. She had tried to get him to speak about them and he had lashed out at her. She had been hurt, but when the next nightmare came he found himself seeking out her presence in his sleepy daze. She never said a word to him about them. Only humming a lullaby native to children in Konoha and gently stroking his hair, eventually lulling him back to sleep. They never spoke about those nights and he liked that she didn't pry assuming he would speak when he was ready. And perhaps one day he would be.

He liked that she could be the gentle presence that soothed his sleep, and be the powerhouse that uprooted a group of bandits with her pinky finger.

He was beginning to realize there were starting to be a lot of things he liked about Sakura. And one day as he watched her dance around foolishly in a field of flowers they had come across laughing like a child without a care in the world, the sunset making her seem radiant and ethereal. He realized he loved her.

This however, did not come as a happy epiphany for him. He was past the point of denying how he felt for her, but he was not so cruel a person he would tie her to him. With knowledge of her own feelings it was achingly tempting to do so. But she deserved better. She had shown him that he could love and that was enough for him. Still he knew the more time spent with her the less likely he was to continue his altruistic intentions.

"Sakura." He called in a somber tone. "Lets go."

She seemed slightly put out at having her fun cut short but quickly scampered across the meadow to follow him.

"Where are we going now Sasuke?" She chirped rushing up next to him.

"Konoha." He grunted.

Unphased by his suddenly foul mood she delighted at the prospect of seeing everyone back home.

"That's great! I miss everyone so much! I'm sure Naruto and Kakashi are going to be excited to see us! You and Naruto haven't had a good spar in sometime I bet your itching to get at him!" She jested poking his arm good naturedly.

"I'm not going back."

This revelation shocked her and she stopped in her tracks.

"W-what? Why not? If you still have something to do out here I don't mind tagging along! I'm not that homesick! I'm having fun travelling out here. I'll wait until we can go back together." She tried to keep her tone light and optimistic but it cracked and broke in places as if she already knew what was coming next.

"You're going back to Konoha. I'm dropping you off then I'm leaving." He said with a sigh knowing exactly what was coming next. Only this time it would be much much harder to walk away.

"Did I do something wrong? I swear if you tell me I'll fix it! Sasuke-kun if you just tell me wha-"

"You're annoying Sakura." He spit it out as harshly as he could. Not looking back to see her face he knew wore a look of hurt. He began to head off expecting her to follow when he suddenly heard a loud crack behind him and was only given seconds to hop away and gather his footing.

"Sakura what the hell!" He growled. This was only making things more difficult than they already were.

"Bullshit!" She barked pointing a finger at him. A giant crater surrounding her.

"Sakura you're being-"

BOOM!

The tree he had been standing on was reduced to a pile of splinters and he tumbled to the ground twisting to land on his feet as he stared incredoulously at the woman before him. The sweet little girl dancing amoungst the flowers was long gone and on her place was a woman fuming with rage and wielding the strength of a titan. He had never been on the receiving end of this side of Sakura and suddenly found himself growing a new appreciation for Naruto's durability.

"I've been annoying since we were 12 years old! I was annoying then! I was annoying when you left! I was annoying when you came back! I was annoying when you showed up at my door asking me to come with you. And now I'm going to be really annoying!"

"Sakur-" He was cut off by the boulder flying towards him.

"I've always been annoying so that excuse isn't going to work anymore Sasuke-kun!" Another boulder was hurdled towards him and he thanked god for blessing him with agility.

"Sakura that's ENOUGH!"

"Tell me why you're leaving me! Give me a proper reason! Don't say it's because I'm annoying or because you have to follow your own path! Or your being an avenger or repenting your sins or whatever other bullshit you think you can feed me!" Each exclamation was followed by a shattering punch to the ground forcing him to duck and dodge fragments while trying to find stable ground. He had damn near had enough of her temper tantrum and decided to end this now. With a flash he had disappeared before snapping into exsistance inches from her. Before she could react to his proximity he had tackled her to the ground, pinning her tiny fists of fury in an iron grip.

"I SAID ENOUGH!" He hollered inches from her face, using his heavier body mass to lock her beneath him.

He watched her face turn red and tears of frustration well up in her eyes before spilling over.

"Just tell me why Sasuke-kun." She choked out, and he felt her body heave with sobs beneath him. "Why do you always leave me?" She whimpered. As he looked down at her he felt his heart clench painfully at the crying girl beneath him. He always made her cry. He felt a gentle push against one of his hands locked around her wrist. He loosened his grip and allowed her to raise the dainty appendage to caress the side of his face. With her touch he felt his resolve crumbling.

"Sasuke-kun." She called in that voice that annoyed him so much. He let his gaze meet hers and felt the last little bits of restraint he possessed become washed away in emerald green. Her watery eyes crinkled as she smiled up at him in a way he found heartbreakingly beautiful.

"I love yo-" with those words he broke under her gentle hands.

"Shit." He groaned before dropping his weight against her and pressing his lips to hers.

With that kiss little Sakura Haruno with stupid pink hair and annoying green eyes, defeated Sasuke Uchiha.


	8. Chapter 8

Time was a strange thing. It flowed like a river that seemed to stretch on endlessly. History was written through the twists and turns across the landscape. It's waters were serene and calm in some places, only to extend into harsh rapids filled with jagged rocks. Time was an unending force of nature that eventually conquered and shaped all within its path. Given enough time a river could cut through a mountain, warping the landscape as it saw fit, fortified rocks eventually succumbed to the gentle laps of water steadily eroding its very foundation. Given enough time even the most iron clad of will could crumble with enough time.

He had once thought his own resolve to be impenetrable. An immovable object, unfazed by time and the trials it brought with it. With time he had forgiven his brother for his sins. The river of time had redirected his path of vengeance to the very village he had once called home. Only to later quell the rapids of his inner turmoil and bring about calm waters that allowed him to forgive and continue down the unending river. It took a great deal of time for Sasuke's hatred for Konoha to subside, and even now he often still felt lingering traces of bitterness and resentment.

Yet, as he continued down the river the remains of his once unbreakable mountain crumbled and reshaped themselves to accommodate the steady flow of the river. Resolve and will power were fickle things in the face of time. Time brought change and while some were able to resist for longer than others, eventually the infinite stream of time would cut a path through even those most determined to resist accepting change.

Time forced men to change. However, Sasuke never could have imagined he would change so much. He prided himself on being rather stubborn and refused to bend to the whims of those around him. But time had changed Sasuke. He was a man freed from the burdens of avenging his clan. He had made peace with his past and fought for the future. He no longer resisted change he had once abhorred. From a young age he had been arrogant enough to believe that he was impervious to change in his life. He was a creature of habit, dedicated to focus strictly on only what he had deemed to be worthy. Everything else had been irrelevant, and it seemed impossible for time to bring about change in his isolated world. He had revelled in his isolation, it did not invite means for change. In a world limited to himself, time could not invite change to morph his ideology. It could twist and mold the world around him filled with beings of a lesser resoluteness, but Sasuke would remain alone and immune to it all.

This was a foolhardy notion as no one is impervious to change. It slipped through the cracks of his carefully crafted foundation, and opened up fissures in his sheltered walls in the form of his teammates. Time had brought an abundance of new factors and grievances into Sasukes world, forcing him to adjust to its new landscape.

The river had shifted his mountain to intertwine with the paths of Team 7. The addition of Sakura and Naruto into his life had become his most vulnerable points in his crumbling resolve. With them they brought gargantuan tidal waves that blasted away at the rocks he surrounded himself with, allowing water to penetrate the mountain that had once seemed indestructible. As time dragged on his rocks chipped away, allowing himself to bend to the rivers will. He was no longer alone and solely motivated by his goal of vengeance. He found himself being reshaped by this group of oddballs. His priorities shifting to his rivalry with Naruto and growing alongside his team. In turn they allowed themselves to be shaped by him, imprinting his very being into their own resolves.

Days passed and he found he had begrudgingly grown to like the change they brought. Until he was abruptly reminded of his burden in the form of his brother. His appearance was akin to an avalanche, crashing down upon the mountain and filling the cracks he had allowed himself to acquire. The erosion of his resolve to achieve his goal disturbed him. He felt weak for straying from his goal, blaming his newly formed bonds for creating holes in his rock face. Naruto and Sakura's presence had become dangerous to him and he ran from the waves they created that lapped at his stone.

Yet no matter how far he ran the river chased him. He would rebuild his foundations try to sway and fight their current, but all proved futile and once again rock remained malleable to the will of the water. The waves crumbled his wish to be isolated. Cracks gave way to streams that connected them all. His rage and anger was snuffed out by a tsunami steadily building over time. Their waves would crash agains his rock and shatter into mere drops of water only to return to the river and rebuild itself into an even stronger adversary. Piece by piece Mountain gave way to the river until only a rocky terrain submerged beneath the river remained. Beyond it was a vast ocean of opportunity that reflected the sun that had been blocked out by his mountain.

He was a polarity of the man he had once been, reshaped by Naruto and Sakura. Amusedly he thought that he would always be the mountain in their scenarios. Stubborn and unmoving, but never conquering against the river. Yet, he could not bring himself to resent this.

Looking over to Sakura he let out a breathy chuckle. He had always thought himself to be superior to the little Kunoichi. Strong enough to resist her on every possible front. While Naruto was like a wave that beat against his surface with all its strength, getting knocked down only to come right back again. Sakura was reminiscent of an under current the subtly wormed and worked its way through the cracks he wasn't even aware he had until it was far to late and she was embedded into his most vulnerable places.

She had irritated him to no end, constantly sticking to his side and showering him with unwarranted affection. In his youth he had once compared her to a kicked puppy. No matter how badly he treated her, ignored her or snapped at her she would sulk only for a moment before once again resuming her giddy antics. Yet, despite his irritation and protesting against her girlish behaviour she had gotten under his skin and made herself a cozy place in his heart. His open rejection and aggravation had dissipated somewhere along the line. His reprimanding of her was half hearted at best and he would occasionally allow her a moment of closeness she so desired. He allowed her to hang off his arm on occasion, dismissing it as a minor annoyance. On the particularly good days he might remain passive to her coddling, if only to get a rise out of Naruto. Though he would never admit to it, it was nice to have someone care for him after being alone for so long.

Back then he had rejected her on the principle of her affection being a nuisance. He dismissed her feelings and justified his own as simply looking out for a teammate. But he had cared for her. She was a small piece of joy untouched by the ninja world, her kind nature, loyalty to her friends and unabashed innocence was soothing to be around for a boy who had dwelled in darkness. She had always been an annoying little soft spot, even after he had left for Orochimaru's. Despite her interference he couldn't muster the resolve to do her any harm, although he refused to acknowledge this hesitance as a bond. He had cut ties to Konoha, and he wrote her off as a nuisance. But if he was being honest it was more than that. Not a romantic interest or affection at the time perhaps, more like an annoying itch he couldn't seem to scratch. He ignored and buried the itch, refusing to acknowledge what it could mean. However, he later found this ignorance could only last for so long.

After returning to Konoha, the itch began to develop into a tickle. Then a burn. Then... something more. He once again buried this feeling, not because he disliked her or found her to be a nuisance. Rather the opposite. He felt guilt. Sakura was a good person who deserved better than the man she pined for. He once again built up his resolve to reject the affection she so easily offered. His intentions were unselfish and meant to be for her betterment. Although this seemed to matter not, as once again she wriggled herself into his cracks and shattered his willpower to keep away from her.

Admittedly he had slipped up on more than one occasion, allowing himself to be selfish with her. Glaring down her suitors and bringing her along on his travels. It had all come to a head after he had deigned to put his foot down and bring her back to Konoha so she could build a life without him. This plan had completely back fired and blown up in his face. Quite literally, considering the chunks of debris and eruptions of cracked earth he had found himself dodging. The last vestiges of his will had evaporated at the sight of her pinned beneath him, looking into his own eyes with her watery greens. He had tried to do what was best for her, but he was a selfish man. In uncharacteristic loss of control he had found himself pressing his lips to her own and opening the floodgates for her to see what he had been trying to conceal for months.

He was not a romantic or even a spontaneously passionate man. He was cold, calculated and not one to openly express his feelings. The few words he used were meant to deliver an underlying text and were only able to be decrypted by the people who knew him best. His actions spoke volumes, but if confronted he was prone to brushing them off as fickle, a mere passing whim.

On one of his return visits to Konoha a few years back Naruto had cornered him about a decimated troupe of ANBU soldiers he had and Sai had come across in their wake of a mission to rescue Sakura.

"Sasuke I saw the battlefield, it wasn't hard to tell who had taken out those reinforcements." The blonde had pressed after Sasuke had feigned ignorance as to what he was referring to.

"Hn."

"Sasuke, Kakashi told me he sent you a message after she was taken."

All pretences of deniability forgone, Sasuke chose the next most effective method and neglected to respond. Hoping if he ignored the idiot long enough he would drop the topic or leave.

"The battle ground was fresh when we arrived you couldn't have been far away from us. Why didn't you at least come and see her? See if she was alright?"

"I was merely passing through the area and came across them. I heard from Kakashi there was a group of ANBU causing trouble and I dealt with it."

"That's a load of crap! We sent for you weeks ago about this and you told us it was Konoha's problem not yours! And from what Kakashi told me you were no where near that area before it all went down! So don't play that fickle shit with me Sasuke!"

"What is the point of this interrogation Naruto?" Sasuke sighed with exasperation growing more and more irritated with the dobe's pestering.

"The point is I'm trying to get it through that thick skull of yours that maybe you care a little more about Sakura-chan than you think you do!"

The accusation gave him pause at its abruptness before the dark haired man mumbled a reply.

"She's a team mate."

"Sasuke don't pretend like if it had been me or Kakashi out there you would have come rushing to our rescue." The jinchuriki scoffed at his friends dismissal.

"Maybe if you and Kakashi watched out for her a little better I wouldn't have had to interfere!" He hissed back.

"She went off on her own to help clear your name, you teme!" Naruto hollered back as the temper only Sasuke could invoke from him began to rear its ugly head.

"I didn't ask her to do that!"

"You didn't have to! She does everything for you with out so much as a word of thanks! She was kidnapped defending you for fucks sake and you don't so much as send her a letter in return! You think that because you show up and play the hero every once in a while she will forget you're not there!"

"I wasn't being heroic that day Naruto." Sasuke growled through his teeth, recalling his violent rampage he had embarked upon. No, there was nothing heroic to him about slaughtering all those men. At his words Naruto paused to give him a hard stare.

"I know." The blonde said in a deceptively calm tone, while holding his friends gaze. "We were worried about you Sasuke. That battlefield... It was... Sasuke it was brutal. All those men... We thought- We thought that maybe you had-"

"Become what I once was." He deadpanned. The blonde had the decency to look momentarily guilty at his accusation before continuing.

"Sasuke it was a bloodbath. That's not the man we know you to be now. To say you're simply passing through and then murdering all those people. We were worried Sasuke. We tried to talk to you and you never replied! What were we supposed to think? What was she supposed to think?!" Naruto sighed. "I know you care about her Sasuke. Maybe more than you yourself know. But she doesn't know what to think because you don't even take the time to reply to a letter! She thought you had snapped and just killed all those people for nothing! Hell I thought you snapped Sasuke! It was pure carnage we witnessed and then you just disappeared with out a word for months!"

"You didn't hear what they said about her Naruto. What they said they were going to do to her." He whispered in a sinister tone. His jaw clenched as he thought of what those two shinobi had intended for Sakura. The wrath he had brought down upon them was a fraction of what he felt they had deserved.

Naruto looked solemn for a moment, briefly shuddering at the unspoken implications. He would have liked to think he would have shown restraint if faced with Sasuke's situation but at the thought of someone torturing his female teammate he had an inkling of doubt he would.

"Maybe they got what they deserved Sasuke. Maybe not. But I won't let her become a catalyst for you to go down the path of vengeance again. She doesn't need an avenger Sasuke she just needs you."

"She doesn't need someone like me."

"I think that's for her to decide. I understand what it's like to care for her. But that is not the way for you to show her. She's not like us, she doesn't talk through her fists. Talk to her Sasuke. Be there with her, instead of in the shadows. Because she may not always be waiting there for you to come into the light."

"Hn."

"You know for an Uchiha you sure a pretty blind sometimes." Naruto chuckled wryly before walking away. Leaving Sasuke to ponder over the strangely disturbing thought of Sakura no longer being there to wait for him. Truthfully he had never considered the possibility. Not that he had readily assumed she would pine after him forever, but she had always been a comforting constant. The thought of losing that made him uncomfortable.

He had never deemed it necessary to reply to the letters she had sent him when he was away. They mostly consisted of her babbling on about the goings on in Konoha and her day to day at the hospital. She would write a line or two about how she missed him and wished he would come home, and he sometimes felt a twinge of guilt, but it was fleeting. He mostly assumed the letters were for her sake, a way of keeping a connection with him while he was away. The letters were a small pleasantry to him. He would usually go over their contents while stopping for a rest, imagining her voice dictating them out loud. It was soothing, and a small luxury of relaxation he allowed himself on his journey before discarding them and continuing on his travels. Never a sentimental type he felt no need to drag around scraps of paper on his journeys. But he remembered the words they held. Every last one of them.

He never replied to her letters. Feeling no need to share any trivial stories of his own travels. He reasoned if she was curious she could read the mission reports he sent to Kakashi. He was not a man who wrote frivolous letters baring no crucial subject matter. Words did not come as easy to him as they did to her, he communicated best through his fists. Naruto was a sort of social buffer in their team. A Happy medium able to express himself and understand both opposing ends of the social spectrum Sakura and Sasuke resided on.

Communicating with Sakura was difficult for Sasuke. He would never attempt to do so the way he did with Naruto, by punching the living day lights out of each other. She understood him well enough to see past his prickly attitude and could usually decipher meaning in his selective vocabulary. But, he often left her in the dark on most matters. Leaving her to reach her own understanding of him whatever it may be.

He could digress it was probably an irritating quality for someone to have. But he was unsure of the words she needed to hear. He was unsure of what he wanted to say. Thus he concluded that to say nothing at all would be the most acceptable. Neither doing any harm nor good to their bond. He was familiar with their current relationship. He knew how to handle this setting with Sakura. The stagnancy gave him time to examine his own thoughts. Yet, if it was this same avoidance of progression that was pushing her away, Sasuke quickly realized that his period for contemplation had come to a definitive end. He was unsure of what he wanted Sakura to be other than a team mate and one of his precious people. Their bond was nothing like his and Naruto's. He could easily identify that; best-friend, brother, rival. Despite their bickering and fighting they were as close as two people could be.

He felt close to Sakura but it was different from the way he was close to Naruto. He watched out for her, as though she were something delicate. She was someone to lean on in his moments of weakness. Providing a comfort without judging him for lowering his defences. She was a strange anomaly in his world that both irritated him and brought him peace. She was the exception to many of his dutifully ingrained rules and ideology. He hated weakness, but would never let her get hurt. He hated physical contact, but resigned to let her invade his personal space on occasion. He frowned upon emotions and tears, but couldn't picture her without them. Sakura was a strange piece of a puzzle that didn't quite fit in anywhere but somehow completed the whole picture.

He grew frustrated with his thoughts on the matter, and refused to explore these oxymorons any further. He had come to the only conclusion he needed. Sakura was important to him in some way or another, and he didn't want her to go anywhere. With a low groan he hoisted himself to his feet and dashed home to the apartment he was renting during his stay in the Leaf Village. Resolving that he would speak with Sakura before he left.

As luck would have it, an opportunity to confront her was granted. His return home had miraculously coincided with the villages annual celebration of the end of the 4th Shinobi War. Normally he would have diligently avoided such a spectacle, but with some aggressive pressuring from Naruto he had begrudgingly agreed to make an appearance at the festivities. Rather than fighting the issue he found that his acceptance would get the dobe off his back faster and save him from Naruto banging down his door later that evening threatening to drag him out by his neck. Naruto had whined for him to attend the official ceremony as well but a sharp knock to his head had let him know he was pushing his luck. Sasuke, while not particularly eager on the idea, had not rejected attending the ceremony out of sheer spite. He simply knew that despite Naruto's optimism the villagers would not be welcoming of his presence being honoured as a war hero. When many were aware he had played a part in aiding the opposition, despite later coming to his old village's aid. He was merely tolerated out of respect for his team mates when he was in Konoha, and was under no misgivings that the general populace welcomed him.

Attending the festivities following the ceremony had been a safe bet. The festival grounds were packed with villagers all scrambling about to visit the various vendors and games. There was a liveliness in the bustling of the crowd and drunken merriment flourished through the streets from the cups they held. It was a strange sight to witness, with celebratory joviality masking the somber purpose of the event. The war had been a trying time for all. Plagued with death and loss. It was hard to believe that this light hearted celebration was born from such tragedy. Sasuke couldn't help the feeling of bitterness that arose within him as he watched the happy villagers parade around recognizing an event that bore him such pain and anguish. He contemplated simply leaving the festival, now in a foul mood, but this thought was interrupted by a familiar shade of pink entering his vision.

"Sasuke! You came!" She cried out waving ecstatically as she maneuvered through the crowd over to him.

"It's strange they are dancing around about the deaths of so many." He couldn't help but voice his thoughts, disregarding her greeting entirely. The statement caused her to pause at his side, a brief look of confusion crossing her features before she too turned to examine the merry crowd.

"Perhaps that's one way to see it." She replied, "I prefer to think it's more like they are celebrating the legacy of those who fought to end the war and bring them cause for celebration."

That was Sakura for you. Able to shed her rays of optimism on any situation, as if she weaved the silver lining into every cloud she came across. It was sometimes an annoying trait, but Sasuke found that this time her words brought peace to him and quelled the resentment he felt towards the spectacle.

"Hn." He said with a soft nod in her direction.

"Naruto said you were going to come but I wasn't sure. I know this isn't normally your type of thing." She called to him bashfully over the loud music.

Indeed it very well wasn't the type of thing he would normally involve himself with. Villagers whom indulged a bit to heavily in the spirits were obnoxious and bumped into him on occasion. The shop vendors were pushy and aggressive in hopes of luring people into their stalls to buy their wares. The music being played by some local group blared through the speakers adding to the overall noise and chaos of the scene. It was a migraine inducing annoyance where people were given an excuse to drink excessively and act foolishly.

"I'm going somewhere more quiet." He told her before making his way away from the crowd and towards a small bench sitting in front of a lake. He did not bother to turn around, knowing she would be following him. Sakura had come to understand that in the world of Sasuke, a declaration of where he was headed was just as good as an invitation to join him.

The two ninja sat upon the bench and stared out into the lake. It truly was a beautiful sight. The moonlight reflected and shimmered across the body of water that seemed to melt into the horizon of the starry night sky. Neither said anything for a moment. Both seemingly content to simply take in the view. The festivals noise merely a dulled droning in the background. A simple accompaniment to the sharp whistling of the nearby crickets.

Sasuke turned to look at the girl next to him, getting a full veiw of the cherry pink locks sprouting from the crown of her head. In a moment of nostalgia he recalled that they had once almost been the same height, with Naruto being branded as the shorty of the group. The tables had now turned and both men now towered over their petite team mate.

Sitting beside him now he was hard pressed to place her as the ninja she was. His frame completely dwarfed her own and he noticed she had opted to wear a flowery kimono. It only served to make her already girlish features appear more so. He caught himself examining the delicate bone structure of her jaw that was hidden beneath ivory skin uncommonly unblemished for their profession. He supposed he could chalk that up to her aptitude as a healer, and found himself oddly contented at the sight she was unmarked from the wear and tear of battles.

She seemed to be lost in the scenery before her, with her green eyes glazed over by the reflection of the glittering waters surface. In a unusual train of thought Sasuke couldn't help but think to himself that she looked beautiful.

"You know I'll always be there for you. Even when I'm not." He said turning back to the water. Out of the corner of his eye he caught her give a small start as his voice cut through their silence like a knife. he could feeling her gaze piercing him and imagined her wide green eyes furrowed in confusion at his words.

He himself was unsure of their implications, but he knew them to be true. He would always be there for her. Even on his travels miles away. If she needed him to be there he would be. She had spent the better part of her life doing the same for him. He knew this promise was the least he could do.

He could not stay in Konoha with her. Not yet.

But if she needed him, he knew he would come running.

Turning to face her he was inexplicably pleased to see her features matched the ones he had crafted in his mind perfectly. A slight blush stained the apples of her cheeks, her eyes wide and questioning, and her bottom lip hung slightly separated from its counterpart showing a faint glimpse of the line of her teeth. In her eyes he could see her brain whirring a million miles a minute trying to produce the correct words to insight an answer to all her questions.

But Sasuke wasn't entirely sure he had those answers just yet, and so he cut her off before her thoughts came to fruition.

"Thank you."

The words were so simple to her coming from anyone else. But from him they meant so much more than anyone could understand. Her eyes widened a fraction at the two words that had haunted her for many years. She was still unsure she understood their full implications but it seemed almost sinful to ask him to explain them. To Sakura they held their own meaning that she cherished above all else. She didn't need Sasuke to write her a lengthy worded letter, just those two words were more than enough. Because Sakura knew when it came to Sasuke they said more than any letter ever could.

And then he was gone. She had merely blinked and he had vanished. It was almost cruel how quickly he could vanish. To her it was as if she was if she was toeing a fragile line where the mere flutter of her lashes could be enough to rip him away from her grasp once again. Realizing she had once again been left on a bench she tried to summon the will power to be angry at his audacity, but it was wilted and half hearted at best as her sorrow blanketed her figure. She knew he had left once again. She knew he wouldn't be back for another unbearably lengthy amount of time. Leaving her with a few words that she would agonize and over analyze on repeat everyday until she saw him again. She knew enough about Sasuke to know that somewhere in those words were a deeper meaning meant for her ears alone. What she didn't know at the time, was that in those two and a half minutes spent looking over the lake, Sasuke would come to consider that as their first date.


	9. Chapter 9

Love was a complicated thing for Sasuke. Perhaps it was the cursed blood that ran through his veins that brought such misgivings to the term. Although one could argue that most of his issues were branded into him by his personal experiences. He had once felt haunted by love. He had had love in his youth, similar to almost every other child. He had a family whom he loved, and they had loved him in return. He had loved his beautiful Mother, who doted upon him endlessly and spoiled him when his Father wasn't around. His Father had been a complicated person to get along with, but Sasuke had loved him all the same. In his youth he had revered the man, running around on his pudgy legs grasping at straws to seek his approval. His Father was a conservative, strict and to the point sort of man, he embraced his children with what one might consider labeling 'tough love'. He pushed Sasuke to strive to reach his fullest potential and held him to a unorthodox standard, even for a prestigious clan household. But, despite his reservations he cared for his youngest son all the same. Sasuke had once had a brother who he loved. He loved his brother perhaps most of all. He idolized his brother, and was positive that he was the greatest man to walk the Earth. Looking back perhaps he was. His brother was an uncommonly gifted ninja, rising through the ranks at a rapid pace unheard of for someone his age. His Father had placed his elder brother on a gargantuan pedestal, heralding him as the pride of the Uchiha clan. His Father would compare his own efforts as a ninja with those of Itachi when he was his age, remarking on how he wished Sasuke was able to become more like his brother before him. The dismissal of his skills stung and he recalled being jealous and resentful of his brother on more than one occasion, but it never inspired any true malice because Sasuke too wanted to be just like Itachi. His elder brother was his favourite person, even as an infant. He would toddle around after him begging him to teach him new ninja skills or simply play with him. Sasuke had adored spending time with Itachi. Itachi in turn had always been kind and patient with Sasuke, he would rarely reprimand his selfish or bratty behaviour and always tried to make time for the little boy. Yes, Itachi had loved Sasuke above everyone else. And Sasuke had loved Itachi in return.

It is always the strongest of love that breeds the strongest of hate.

Sasuke had had plenty of love as a child.

And in a single night all that love was twisted into hate.

Everyone who he had loved and loved him was suddenly gone. Slashed and hacked to pieces by the very person Sasuke loved most.

From then on Sasuke had no room for love in his heart that was filled wit a burning desire to seek retribution for his hate. His adolescent mind had told him to hate love and love hate. Love was a wonderful facade that could be ripped away at any moment and leave you with nothing but pain and anger, and hate. People could pretend to love. People could lie to you with warm smiles and a poke on the forehead, right before ripping up the pieces of your world and trapping you in a hellish nightmare.

The nightmare twists love into a sickening tool that only feeds the fuel of your suffering. Love is a mirage of bliss that can be shattered at a moments notice leaving you empty and alone. Tortured by the memories of what you once possessed and surrounded by people still existing happily in their own illusions of love. While you watch bitterly hoping that it all comes crashing down on them just as it did for you. Maybe then you won't be alone anymore.

Sasuke had love and it broke him to his very core. Love was a weakness because it could be taken away. Hate was the only thing powerful enough to replace love in his heart. He would not give love the chance to make him vulnerable once again. He could not bear losing it a second time. His entire life had become about embracing hate, and hate bred into a desire for vengance against the one who had destroyed his world. The person who had made him love the most would become the coal that stoked the fire for his hate. He hated Itachi, and he would use it to rip him apart just as he had Sasuke.

His days were dominated by training and his nights plagued by the hellish visions of the massacre. He once went an entire week without sleeping to avoid the sickening visions of death around him. Forced to relive that night over and over every time he closed his eyes was the cruelest form of torture. Branded into him by the wicked creature who had tricked him with love.

Fuck love.

His days at the academy were both enjoyable and sickening for Sasuke. The first few months after the massacre were particularly brutal. Children whispered about the murder of his clan like it was petty gossip. They would point and stare at him like some sort of spectacle. As though his agony was some sort of twisted tale for their amusement. He hated them.

One particularly brash boy even had the gall to ask Sasuke point blank if it was true that his brother murdered his entire clan. Sasuke had answered by smashing his fist into the boys face until a teacher came to drag him off the newly disfigured student.

Eventually the stares and whispers died down and everyone seemed to move on from the tragic fate of the Uchiha clan. In a way this seemed to anger him more. Everyone around him could simply forget what had happened. Move on with their stupid lives in their happy little bubble with all their family alive. they could get picked up after lessons by older siblings like he once had. Their older siblings hadn't murdered their family. But Sasuke's had.

Eventually his resentment quieted as time passed and simply manifested into a prickly personality that usually accompanied brooding. Yet, despite his anti social behaviour Sasuke was relatively popular in the academy. His Father's rigorous training had pushed him to be the star pupil in the class. He excelled above the other children and was regarded as a genius by his teachers and peers. He enjoyed knowing that his progress was moving at a much more rapid pace than his peers. He needed to be the best to defeat the man he had once called a brother. He was stronger, better and faster than those around him and he liked that everyone knew it. Although occasionally he would find some irksome little girl besting him in academic assignments, but after observing her during physical training exercises he was put at ease. She was a scrawny little thing with an absurd hair colour and he quickly wrote her off as a weak little know it all trying to play ninja. He doubted that she would last until graduation, but the tenacious little thing kept reappearing year after year.

Although his status as a prodigy proved to be a double edged sword in retrospect. His moody attitude and natural aptitude had garnered some unwanted attention from his classmates. They claimed that he was 'cool' and fawned over him as if he were royalty. The boys would attempt to linger around him either hoping that he would teach them, or simply boost their own social ranking through association. He found this to be incredibly annoying and was quick to slap them with a few stinging insults sending them away with their tail between their legs. Over the years the boys he had spurned grew to detest him claiming that he was arrogant and showing off. Sasuke however was perfectly content with this. He had no need for imbeciles trying to ride his coat tails or the 'friendship' they offered. He preferred to be alone, he didn't need friends or bonds and couldn't care less what those around him thought. As long as they knew that he was better.

The girls however, were not as easy to get rid of. They squabbled amongst each other for his attention, and when he ignored them it only seemed to provoke their tenacity to gain it. He was constantly annoyed at the screeching pack of girls that followed him where ever he went. It did not seem to matter how dismissive or rude he was to them, the next day they would resume irritating him again and arguing amongst themselves. The fawned over his cool demeanour and raved about his good looks. He found such things to be petty and shallow. He had never really cared about his appearance it simply was what it was. Although on the particularly aggravating days he contemplated giving himself a giant ugly scar just so they would leave him alone.

He noticed that the pink haired girl who excelled during tests was amongst his fans, and to his annoyance one of the loudest. He scoffed at her stupidity. He could admit she was relatively book smart but lacked the skill to excel as ninja. Probably spending more time washing her hair than training to hone her skills. She wouldn't last a day out there. God help the poor suckers who end up with her on a team.

What Sasuke detested the most about the obnoxious girls however, was their constant professions of love.

Love. What a stupid word coming from even stupider girls.

They had no idea what love was. They loved his face and his status as being branded 'cool'. They would run screaming if they knew what kind of person he had become. He had no room for love anymore. He was only filled with hate and anger and bitterness. Who would love that?

He was incredibly eager to get out of the academy and begin serious training. The absence of screeching girls was an added bonus and he only hoped he didn't end up with one of those banshees on his team. However, fate was never kind to Sasuke, and so he was paired with the pink haired fool who looked as though a strong gust of wind could knock her over. He felt irritated by her chipper attitude and well groomed exterior. Clearly she had come from a happy home and nay knew an ounce of what suffering and pain felt like. She was in a happy little bubble with two loving parents, trying to play ninja like a fool. Sasuke hoped that bubble popped.

His other team mate was perhaps even more irksome. A loudmouth block-head who barely passed graduation. The obnoxious little snot was the lowest ranking student, and constantly screeched to anyone who would listen about how he would one day become Hokage. Sasuke scoffed at the idea of that idiot running the village. He had been a pain in his side since he started at the academy. Barking out insults towards him when he thought Sasuke wasn't listening. Challenging him to sparring matches that he would always lose. Declaring himself to be his rival after his swift defeat. Sasuke rarely bothered to acknowledge anyone in his class, but he could truly say he despised Naruto. It was a slight bruising to his ego that he now considered Naruto as a worthy rival and cherished friend. If he had proposed the idea in his youth he would have found it laughable and preposterous.

However, what he found bothered him the most about Naruto was the fact that he wasn't nearly as bitter or miserable as Sasuke. The kid was a social pariah in the village. The adults rarely spoke of their reasoning behind detesting the boy so vehemently, merely warning their children to stay away from the lonely little blonde boy. He had seen him sitting alone on a swing watching as all the other parents came to pick up their children, and found he recognized the look of longing in the other boys blue eyes. He had seen that longing in his mirror. Naruto had been mistreated, rejected and scorned. He had every reason to possess the same hatred Sasuke did. But there seemed to be seldom that could dampen the little imps spirits. He wanted to change the hatred people threw at him into respect and adoration by becoming Hokage. What a stupid notion. Love could become hate, Sasuke was very familiar with the process. But it was ridiculous to think of changing hate into love. Why would anyone want to have love? Love was weak and could be broken or taken away. In order to be strong one had to possess hatred.

His team was less than ideal. Aggravating in fact. The most skilled student being paired with an imbecile and a ditz. It was practically insulting. Seasick had been sure that if his Father was still of this world he would have protested the pairing and demanded Sasuke be transferred. But his Father was dead, and he was resigned to accepting his circumstances. If he wanted to progress as a leaf ninja he would just have to bite the bullet and work with what he had been given. He soon found that at least his sensei seemed to be competent. Although he was mildly bitter that the jounin had defeated him with such ease after his initial challenge during what was known as the 'bell test'.

His first few missions with his newly formed team were what one would expect them to be. Tedious and frustrating. The tasks given were so pathetic and menial that a mere civilian could have accomplished them. Plucking weeds and tracking down escaped felines did little to enhance his abilities as a ninja. His team mates only made the ridiculous tasks even more annoying.

Naruto never seemed to shut up and some how found a way to screw up even the most simple of jobs. Although he would have taken the extra work any day over Sakura's incessant jabbering and need to cling onto him in some way or another. He had found her affection incredibly annoying and petty. The girl knew nothing about him but maintained that she loved him. He never returned her feelings and made an effort to dissuade her from pursuing them. He was bitter and rude to her, taking ever opportunity to reject her advances. But the annoying girl just kept coming back. His ignorance was met with admiration and his stinging remarks only made her sulk like a toddler before she regenerated her former enthusiasm. The one benefit of her pestering was that her cooing and fawning seemed to irritate Naruto to no end. It wasn't necessarily bad to have someone to stroke his ego and simultaneously enrage his adversary. But what irritated Sasuke about Sakura the most was that over time he began to grow tolerant of her antics. He would feel a twinge of guilt when he spat a particularly vicious remark at her. He despised her for her picturesque lifestyle and chipper attitude but could not bring himself to extinguish her innocent nature. Her massive green eyes shone in his direction and radiated naivety that was an abnormality amongst ninja.

Truly he thought she should have never entered the profession. She was too sweet. Too naive and untainted by the world. He found her annoying, but felt an instinctual obligation to watch over the silly pink haired girl. She may have been just another squealing girl with a stupid crush, but she was still his teammate. Her ineptitude for combat only made this unspoken obligation even more trying. He knew that she wasn't a particularly good fighter and would find himself ensuring that he accommodated for her lack of skill. They had once been attacked by a pair of sinister looking chunin hoping to target a charge their team was responsible for. Their sensei had appeared to be indisposed and Naruto had all but frozen in the face of battle. He had felt a smidgen of pride at his quick reaction to combative circumstances. Charging head first into battle he began to tackle the first of the two foes, thrilled at the adrenaline rush through his system. It felt euphoric to finally be provided with a challenge during a mission that did not equate to redundant house tasks. His senses were alive as he opposed the enemy. After incapacitating one of the hired assassins he turned his focus to the other. The felled ninjas partner had taken advantage of his distraction and was charging towards their client being protected by Sakura. She seemed to attempt to brace herself at the oncoming threat, but her petite form looked feeble and inadequate. Her tiny body barely reached the shoulders of the man she was prepared to protect. Small stature aside, her determined glare was emasculated by her girlish features and ridiculous pink hair. She looked practically pathetic in comparison to the threat rushing towards her. Holding a kunai and shifting her stance in preparation to protect the drunkard of a bridge builder, Sasuke sent a rush of chakra through his system to speed towards the scene. Sakura may have been able to resist the onslaught for a moment or two. More than likely capable of at least drawing the attack away from their client. But Sasuke knew she would not be unscathed in the process. In a flash he was in front of her, sheltering her from the oncoming attack. He absentmindedly thought that he had been more concerned with ensuring she would be unharmed than the man they had been hired to protect. Vaguely he thought that it was unnecessary for her to enter the battle. There was no need for her to get hurt. Not while he was here. Spreading his arms and staring down his target he prepared to engage. Only moments later to have his proverbial thunder stolen by Kakashi in a theatric display of heroism. He had felt mildly irritated at having Kakashi emerge to save the day. This annoyance was only furthered by Sakura's squeals of delight at their sensei's appearance, he had become accustomed to her praise being directed towards him, and his ego bristled at her cheers for Kakashi's swift termination of the two ninja. He bitterly groused to himself that he had played a fairly large role in their victory as well.

Sakura was definitely annoying, but her praise for his skills was not necessarily unwelcome. It felt good to have his skills acknowledged by another. He could care less of what she thought about his appearance or passive demeanour, but he trained rigorously to develop an affinity for the ninja arts and was pleased to see these efforts realized. Even if it was from a silly girl vying for his attention. He never understood exactly why she had liked him so much. Sure he was good looking by societies standards but even he knew that his personality was off putting. He had initially written the attention from her off as a passing fad. Perhaps once she was not surrounded by the girls from the academy, who mandated that he was the 'cool' kid, she would grow tired of liking just another pretty face.

However, after his team's treacherous mission in the Land of the Waves he began to suspect that she would not abandon her crush any time soon. He had awoken to her sobbing hysterically over his form. It was a rather unattractive sight, with splotchy cheeks, swollen eyes and snot dribbling from her nose. Her face was the picture of devastation. In a haze of blood loss and grogginess he found himself wondering why she had been reduced to such melancholy. It was understandable that she would be upset over the loss of a comrade, but the girl had looked as though her world had been shattered. Her wailing sang as though her entire world had been uprooted. He couldn't fathom as to why she would be pained so deeply over his own adversities. Her overwhelming display of emotion made him uncomfortable and he had grumbled that her weight bearing over him was troublesome. In truth Sakura had always been light as a feather. Her petite frame could pack a punch, Naruto's head being a favoured target, but hardly anyone could claim her to be heavy. However this effort to distance himself from her overbearing response had quite the opposite effect and he found himself in genuine pain as she crushed him in an embrace, over joyed that he was alive.

Sakura was exuberant and sometimes obnoxious in her affection for him, but she had proven herself to be genuinely caring. If not as a romantic hopeful, then surely as a teammate. Over the years Sasuke had let her see more of him than any person had. She had seen him at his weakest. Seen him act foolishly and embarrass himself, usually a result of succumbing to one of Naruto's hair brained schemes. She had seen more than the academy's flawless poster boy. And she had still adored him despite it. In moments of weakness she had offered her comfort and support. Never judging him for the rare display. She threw herself into the face of danger to protect her teammates, even shedding the long locks she so cherished.

Sakura's affection remained vigilant, and he began to grow tolerant of her desires. He would briefly let her hold onto his arm on occasion, or embrace him after being ill or injured in the hospital, where she would normally visit with fruits and other amenities. Although he felt no desire to reciprocate her adoration, he respected her enough to acknowledge that she knew him more than most and had grounds to admire him as a person rather than a fantasy.

He knew she liked him. It was rather obvious as she had not been subtle. However, he had never quite understood how deep her feelings ran until the disaster during the final battles of the chunin exams. He recalled being completely drained and pain crept up from every crevice. As the boy turned monster, known as Gaara, launched toward him he had already resentfully accepted this was to be his end. He heard the sound of an impact but felt no pain. Looking up with blurry vision he made out a recognizable figure draped in it's signature maroon.

"Idiot." He had thought. He himself had not been able to defeat this beast. Yet, here was little Sakura staring down this monster before her without a moments hesitation. All so she could protect him.

"Stupid Sakura." He hissed in his mind. She was useless against Gaara's beastial form. The sand clung to the boy to form a terrifying figure yet she brazenly challenged him without hesitation. Gripping the steel knife like it was her life line she spread her legs and crouched her body in an effort to shield Sasuke as much as she was able.

"She's going to die." He thought. She would die in vain trying to save him.

He twitched as he watched her be thrown against the base of the tree the stood on. Her small body hitting the wood with a sickening crack. A warped claw made of sand held her against the bark, and Sasuke vainly tried to push his body into reacting. His limbs shook and he felt nauseous from the pain. Why would she throw herself into certain death just for him. He was cold to her and more so than not ignored her very existence. Why would she sacrifice herself pointlessly for the unlikely chance he would escape death. He watched as she struggled against the crushing pressure of the sand and wished he was able to find the strength to stop it. Why would she jump in front of a monster, knowing she was as delicate as the flower of her name sake?

Deep down he knew the answer, but it was a disturbing conclusion.

She loved him.

Loved him enough to risk her life so he may live.

Loved him enough to shield him from a creature that looked as though it came straight out of the depths of the most disturbing of night terrors. Knowing that her barely passable skills would do little to stop the brutal force. But she did it. She threw herself into certain death without any reservations because she loved him.

It was perplexing and even enraging to him that she would sacrifice herself out of love for him. It only furthered his assumption that love was a idiotic endeavour. It made people do reckless things and abandon common sense. It was a weakness that only led to pain and suffering for those dumb enough to partake.

He had never returned her love or given a sign of doing so, but all the same she was still willing to die or him. He thought her foolish. He thought her stupid. But in that moment he wished he could save her.

He wished he had been the one to save her.

He did not want her love. He did not want her to be slicing an apple at his bedside, thanking him for rescuing her from the demons clutches. It had not been him to do so. He was not worthy of her praise and not worthy of loving. She was wasting her time pursuing him in hopes he might one day return her affection. He had no love left in him. He would not let love become a weakness for him once again. He would not return her love because it would only invite more pain. He was not strong enough to suffer another loss, and not strong enough to protect her from a red-headed boy housing a demon. Naruto had been strong enough. The stupid failure of the class had saved her when he couldn' she still came to Sasuke's side with gratitude and adoration, even though he did not deserve it. He did not want it.

He would not let some stupid little girl drag him down into weakness with promises of love. He would not become the stupid soul willing to sacrifice everything for another. He had a goal to complete. A goal that required hatred. A goal that would be hindered if he loved once again.

She was his team mate. Even if he held a soft spot for her silly antics. Even if he would try to prevent her from harm, because he did not enjoy the idea of seeing her hurt. Even if he now recognized, for some inexplicable reason, that she loved him. Even if he had come to care for her as he did his other team mates.

He would never love her.

For years he rejected the very idea of love. He thrived upon hatred. And when his hatred had fizzeled out with Naruto's determined fists and pleas for understanding, he had focused upon repentance. For some time he avoided her, travelling the nations and rectifying his sins. He avoided the niggling feelings that she invoked in him. He suppressed and fought against the platonic soft spot she carried within him that had grown into something more... annoying.

It terrified him. The thought of cherishing something enough that it's loss would devastate him.

But at the same time there was a temptation to give into the warm feelings of being cared for and caring for another.

Love was a weakness.

But it was a weakness that inspired a strength to protect that which he held most dear.

She became his weakness.

But she had become strong. And when she was not strong he would be strong for them both.

Because now he loved her too.


	10. Chapter 10

He sometimes watched her as she slept. Lying there next to him nestled beneath the sheets they latest inn provided them with, she looked at peace. Her soft breaths puffed against the linens, warming the pillow her head rested on while her pink locks splayed across the bedding. The dulled neutral tones of the fabric always seemed to make the rose locks seem even more vibrant as they twisted and tangled in a carless fashion. The edges of her locks curled and intertwined with one another in a haphazard sort of fashion. Forming a pattern that had no rhyme or reason to it, but was beautiful all the same. The wisps of hair flowed from her scalp to create an abstract painting as she slept. Cracks of light from the moon shining bright in the clear sky creeped through the shutters on the window. The strips of light illuminated bits and pieces of her form while the darkness encroached others. Occasionally she would toss or turn finding a new position that suited to be more beneficial for her comfort. Her movement was usually accompanied by a breathy sigh or lazy grunt. On most nights she seemed to be a picture of contentment. Lost in the comfort and peace sleep provided. Her mind drifting off to what she would recall in the morning as nothing more than a hazy dream.

Sasuke envied her. He did not dream. On the most merciful of nights his mind would fade to darkness as he slept. A void of nothingness that provided him with an undisturbed slumber. On most nights however, he would be haunted by gruesome images manifested from the sins of his past and the sickening horrors locked away in his memories. He would be plagued with endless reruns of his clans massacre. Blood and death littered his nightmares. The memories of himself killing his brother and attacking his former team shifted perspectives often. He would be trapped in his body forced to watch his own hands carry out their cruel misdeeds. Blood stained his palms and crusted beneath his nails while he was powerless to stop himself. Other times he would witness the carnage as a spectator watching himself slash and hack away at the people he cherished. His mind would play games with him. Melding his memories with his fears and twisting the events of reality. He had watched himself plunge a chidori through Naruto's chest laughing with maniacal glee as he killed his only friend. He was sickened as he was forced to watch himself crushing Sakura's slim neck between his fingers, readying a kunai in his other hand to slash her throat. Only this time Naruto had not been there to save her from his insanity and he watched blood run in rivulets down his hand while she choked and gasped for air. The light dimming in her eyes until the normally vibrant green was a dull faded jade.

He would wake up screaming and drenched in his own sweat. His gut twisted and heaved until he would be forced to expel the contents of his stomach. Sasuke never slept for long. He would stay awake as long as possible to avoid slipping into another one of the gruesome horrors his mind concocted. Only falling asleep when his body screamed from exhaustion and even then sleep did not last long.

As a genin he had refused to sleep during missions. He would lie still and rest his eyes but never sleep. He couldn't bare the idea of one of his teammates awakening to his cries and thrashing. It would have been humiliating. Naruto would have teased him relentlessly while Sakura would likely attempt to baby him like a child creeping into their parents bedroom after a nightmare. He was disgusted at the idea of seeming so weak in front of them.

However his travelling with Sakura had eliminated the opportunity of foregoing rest. He was furious at himself after being wrenched from the throes of a particularly awful nightmare, only to find Sakura kneeled over him with fear and concern painted across her features. He had been quick to scramble away from her gaze, lashing out cruelly when she attempted to comfort him. He was grateful she never brought up the event the next morning his ego damaged and filled with shame.

When it happened again he was lucid in his dream but unable to wake up. As he experienced horror after horror his conscious mind shrieked and ran through possibilities of what his sleeping form could be experiencing. Horrified of Sakura being there to witness it all. Trapped in a haze of blood and agony he felt powerless. Until everything seemed to slow and fade. The screams became muted as a gentle tune being hummed grew louder and louder overtaking the violent cries and twisted laughter. The images of death soon followed, fading into nothingness until only darkness remained. There was a gentle speck of light in the darkness where the humming seemed to be emanating from. He forced his body to move towards its comforting presence, only to find that his strides were much shorter than what he was used to. He looked down to find stubby legs matched by tiny hands, pristine and free of the rusted red of blood. He was in the body he had possessed as a child, before the massacre and all the pain. He propelled his tiny limbs as fast as he could towards the light growing more comforted by it as he got closer. Upon reaching the light he felt himself become cocooned in warmth. He felt himself relax and allowed his body to be cradled by the light. It felt as though he was in a safe embrace that sheltered him from the demons of his mind. He could not remember feeling this sort of peace in his sleep, but refused to question its source lest it be snatched away dropping him back into his nightmares.

Upon awakening feeling unusually well rested he found the source of his undisturbed slumber. Sakura was rested upright against the chipped wooden headboard of the bed. Her head drooped lazily signalling she was asleep. He discovered that his head was nestled into her abdomen and felt a small hand gently resting upon the crown of his head. Her fingers were laced through his locks as though she had been caressing them only to fall asleep mid stroke. Her other hand had taken up refuge against his chest, her arm trailing down the side of his head dipping at the contour of his neck. His own arms had shifted in his rest to wrap around her waist as if she were a security blanket of sorts. His hands loosely gripped the silky fabric of her nightgown crinkling it between his fingers. He quickly sought to untangle himself from her, making an effort not to disturb her rest. After removing himself he repositioned the sleeping girl in a more comfortable way, before silently exiting the room they had purchased the night before.

Neither mentioned the events of that night, and when they once again found themselves in a similar position it went unspoken. The same silence was bestowed on the night after, and the many nights that followed. When the nightmares came Sasuke found himself anxiously waiting for the familiar tune that would chase away his demons. He often feared that perhaps one day the humming would not come and the nightmares would return with a vengeance. The safe haven it provided both comforted him and terrified him. What if the humming one day stopped. Another comfort ripped away from him, another loss to suffer. But every night the humming never failed to show, and he relished in the peace its embrace provided.

After some time he began to reach out for her before he fell into his nightmares. Holding her tiny frame against his, breathing in the flowery scent of her hair as it tickled beneath his nose and lulled him into a peaceful sleep. The nightmares never came to him, as if repelled and squandered by her very presence. He knew that she understood that the gesture was not romantic in nature. Not meant to inspire any intimacy. It was a simple act of comfort, and she was happy to provide it. She tried her best not to let herself misinterpret his reaching out. Her mind desperately wanted to wander and rejoice at being held in his arms. Everything about the act was intimate but it was not meant to be intimacy. She would not let her feelings interfere with giving Sasuke the security and peace he so desperately needed. It tugged at her heart strings to have him so close, but he did not need a lover, he needed comfort. And if this was how she was able to give it to him then she would lock away those feelings and simply be what he needed.

As much as her closeness sheltered him from the bloody images, it did not keep all of his demons at bay. One nightmare in particular had developed a tenacity to pop up on the rare occasion. It slipped through the cracks of her safety net and twisted her presence into a catalyst for its horror. The humming would abruptly stop with a gurgling squeak that grew more fervent and desperate. The blackness would melt away and he would find himself strangling the pink haired girl, flicking out a kunai once again.

The first time the nightmare had reared its ugly head he had been horrified and confused by its appearance. Why had her humming not worked? Was it gone forever? The nightmare was vicious and he watched as he stained his hands with her blood powerless to do anything against it. He desperately searched for the humming and the light but neither were to be found.

He had snapped awake still rattled and lost in the visions of his nightmare. He vaguely registered a body hovering over his own gently trying to soothe and calm him from his panicked state. A light touch against his shoulder had snapped his body into action, his ninja instincts sparked by the presence of another so close to him while he was in a vulnerable state. Not fully conscious of his own response he had latched on to the perpetrators neck whipping them to smash against the wall with every ounce of his strength. He held the figure there with a strong grip crushing their windpipe. He had felt his sharingan spinning wildly, seeing everything and nothing at the same time. His ears registered small whimpers and gasps.

"S-Sasuke." A small voice sputtered and tiny fingernails clawed against his grip trying to pry his appendage away.

Upon recognizing the familiar cadence of his name he regained his consciousness enough to register his surroundings. He had been horrified to discover himself choking his companion, as if his nightmares had come to life. Quickly he wrenched his arm from the suffocating girl letting her drop to the floor and her tiny form heaving with raspy gasps as she attempted to suck in as much of the air she had been deprived as she could.

"It's... It's okay Sasuke... I'm fine." she struggled to tell him between pants, shakily attempting to rise to her feet and approach the visibly disturbed man.

He did not acknowledge her assurances and was frozen, staring at the hand he had used to do her harm only seconds before.

"Sasuke-" She attempted to comfort him, but he did not let her finish.

With his legendary speed he tore across the room yanking the door with a force that would nearly rip it from its hinges before darting out and slamming it behind him. The force of the door smashing against its frame shook the walls of the empty room and she was left bewildered as to what to do.

He did not come back for two days after that night.

She was wracked with concern for him in those days, unsure of what to do without him. She travelled through the village in hopes some one had come across him. But experience had taught her that Sasuke was practically invisible when he did not want to be found. Hoping he would return soon she opted to pay for some extra nights at the inn should he return. She had waited for him this long, she could wait a little more.

He had been inconsolable after that night. He was disgusted with himself. Sickened at his lack of control, lashing out at Sakura of all people. His stomach twisted with guilt, and his hands trembled at the thought of what he had almost done. He had nearly committed the unthinkable. He had practically crushed her windpipe because he was caught in the fit of a night terror. He was a danger to her. It was a stupid and reckless decision to let her get so close to him. She would be better off if he simply never returned. Walked out of her life forever to spare her from the monster that he was.

For two days he scoured through the forest, constantly sprinting at full speed, never once stopping. Even when his lungs burned and his legs jolted in pain with every step, he never stopped. Relishing in the ache and discomfort they provided as if it was his punishment in some sick form of penance. He had wished that Naruto was here to give him a proper beating that he deserved for laying hands on her again. Accidental or not the action was inexcusable.

Toiling over his thoughts he eventually reasoned that he should head back to the inn. He had an inkling that should he leave her there she would simply wait for him to return no matter how long it took. She was predictably stupid like that when it came to him. Although he reconciled that he was even stupider for ever bringing her along with him.

Why had he done it? He had justified to himself that she had initially asked to join him, he was humouring her desire to be close to him. He surely at least owed her that much. Bestowing a kindness to her after causing so much pain. Although he could not deny he had some selfish motivation behind the actions. He wasn't displeased with her presence and there was the added bonus of depriving the lecherous neanderthals that littered Konoha of a target for their pitiful affections and disgusting carnal desires. He had kept her with him far longer than he had originally planned, but she seemed to be happy enough. He saw no urgent reason to whisk her back to Konoha, she was perfectly content and safe under his protection. At least she had been until he became the very source of danger he aimed to shield her from.

It had been foolish bringing her with him. He had always been dangerous, intentionally or otherwise. Like a rabid dog who bit anyone brave enough to come close. He had been lulled into complacency by her soothing nature, it appeared that she was able to calm the beast for a time. But wild animals cannot be tamed, his vicious nature would eventually rear its ugly head and if she was close enough she would get bit. Just like she had been that night.

When he arrived back in their room he instantly wished he hadn't returned to the inn where he had last left her. Upon his entering she turned to face him with wide eyes, relief shining through them at his abrupt reappearance. However her eyes were not what had Sasuke once again frozen and feeling nauseous. Her slim pale neck, that looked to be delicate enough it could snap like a twig, was stained by dark angry bruises in the shape of a hand. His hand. He felt sick.

"You're back!" She cried out in a raspy voice, offering him a small smile. It only succeeded to antagonize his misery further.

He looked as if he was seeing ghost, his eyes glaring into where the markings resided. With her greeting ignored she looked to the man in her doorway, taking in his haggard appearance and trembling hands. He was as white as a slate and looked as though he were about to be ill all over the floor any moment. It was truly disconcerting seeing Sasuke like this. Following his line of sight she understood what had him so shaken. She instantly felt guilty for not healing the marks sooner.

"Oh don't worry about those I just haven't gotten around to healing them yet. Bruised tissue normally heals up better if its left alone for a few days to let the swelling go down. If it bothers you I can fix it?" She chirped pleasantly as though she was discussing the weather. She was once again met with no response.

"It's really not that bad you know. Looks worse than it really is. Anyways, I bruise like a peach." She continued with an air of forced nonchalance, even going as far to emit a staged chuckle at her anecdote.

Sasuke knew for a fact she did not bruise easily. She had once bragged about never getting bruises from training in their genin days. He remembered it because Naruto had made a rather indelicate comment, where he had crafted a comparison between her and a rhino. Although the simpleton hadn't had any ill intentions with his remark, reassuring her with fervour that it had been a compliment, it did not allow him to escape the wrath of her tiny fists laced with a brutish strength unbefitting of their appearance. Kakashi had dryly noted that the distance of which she had launched their teammate was a new record. Her knuckles had not so much as received a scratch despite colliding with such a remarkably thick skull.

In the time he had know Sakura she had certainly proven to be deceptively durable, more so than he had given her credit for, especially in the more recent years. To have made such an ugly dark mark on her skin was a testament to exactly how hard he had gripped her. Despite her dismissal of the injury he knew he had hurt her badly. He was honestly surprised she could speak at all.

He briefly wondered if she had intentionally left the bruising for him to see. Not to say he was undeserving of her vindictiveness, he could not object to any form of punishment she chose to throw at him. Her understanding and sweetness could have been crafted to mask her resentment. Letting the bruises blacken to their fullest capacity, staining her normally unblemished skin so she could watch the guilt bleed into his eyes. Bearing them as a painful manifestation of the savage nature he fought so hard to suppress. A reminder that a few petty good deeds along his travels did not absolve him of the monster he was.

However, he quickly reconciled that she could not have known he would return in time to witness the angry markings before they naturally faded back to the soft porcelain of her natural complexion. Sakura was also no where near that cruel. There was not a molecule in her body capable of harbouring bitterness and resentment. Her eagerness to forgive and forget was heartbreakingly genuine. It was God itself that had twisted the fates to ensure he would bear witness to the result of his actions. Karma and bitter irony decreeing that punishment would reign down upon him; through the sight of his hand imprinted on the fragile neck of the woman he never wanted to hurt again. The consequence of his err in control, made only all the more torturous by her sweet words of forgiveness and effort to shift blame from himself.

"The whole thing was my fault really. What kind of idiot pokes a sleeping ninja?" She pipes up again forcing another amused scoff.

Her pitiful attempt at levity is underwhelmed by the concerned expression she can't seem to shake from her features. He had yet to move or speak and his renowned stoic demeanour is absent. To some he wears the same expressionless mask as always, but Sakura has learned to spot the minuscule tells in his features that scream of inner turmoil. His poker face deepens into a miserable scowl as she continues her speech in hopes of getting a reaction from him.

"Any well trained ninja worth his salt would have reacted the same way!" She exclaims. Fighting a losing battle to keep a lighthearted atmosphere in the room. "It was a silly mistake, no harm-"

"I'm not any ninja Sakura." She flinches briefly shocked by the gravely tone coming from the previously mute ninja.

"I'm not any common ninja. When I make a _'mistake'_ people die." He growls out, never meeting her eyes, continuing to glare at the bruises that taunt him with their blotchy patches of deep purple and blue.

She makes an effort to slowly approach his form, with raised hands and small hesitant steps. As though she is approaching a volatile animal that could strike or flee at any moment, rather than a man.

"It was just an accident Sasuke, anyone could ha-"

"I ALMOST KILLED YOU SAKURA!" His booming shout halts her in her tracks and she remains perfectly frozen. She has the sense to feel an inkling fear at his anger. She loved him as much as one human being could love another. She trusted him with her life and held no reservations from his past transgressions. But Sakura would be lying to herself if she did not admit that sometimes, Sasuke scared her.

She would never resent him for his past. She had faced him at his worst and still called him comrade. She knew that he had truly changed. He was a stark contrast to the bloodthirsty avenger she had spent years chasing after. He had seen the light and was as loyal and good intentioned as they came. But every once in a while she would catch glimpses of that tortured lost boy consumed by rage and violence.

In her genin days Sasuke had been like a gallant prince in her eyes. Her very own knight in shining armour who would come to her rescue time and again. Sure he was a bit bitter and surly, but his gruff remarks and irritable nature were overlooked as she concocted a fairytale-esque perception of the boy. A white knight who knocked out bad guys with swiftness and precision. This romanticized fantasy was shattered in the forest of death. She saw a very different side of Sasuke than what she had previously known, and it scared her. Lurking beneath that pearly white armour and chiseled good looks was something very sinister.

She had never been scared of Sasuke before. Sasuke was intimidating, yes, but that had never gone beyond her feeling inferior in his presence or being subject to a couple well placed glares. He was a daunting opponent in battle unquestionably. He was considerably fast and defeated his opposition with swiftness and accuracy that was a testament to his title of prodigy. When she was paired up with him during sparring sessions she was always a tad anxious in facing him. She had always resigned herself for defeat before the match even started. He easily over powered her and probably could have sent her to the Hospital wing within seconds, he had certainly not hesitated to do so with Naruto on more than one occasion when he touched a nerve.

But Sakura was never afraid during these matches. Never worried or concerned that her team mate could seriously injure her. In fact he rarely so much as put a scratch on her during their matches. She hadn't realized it at the time but Sasuke hardly ever made an attempt to land a real physical blow to her. Their fights would usually end with her caught in some sort of trap or a pinch at the back of her neck before her world went black. At the time this absence of real intent to cause harm had seemed relatively normal to Sakura, a natural way of things in their world. Sasuke never harmed her, he was often mean and condescending but never hurt her.

Sasuke was never a threat or source of danger to her. He certainly had the capabilities to be, but even with her constant pestering and clinging he never so much as laid a finger on her. He tolerated her in a way that he did few others. Her transgressions were met with irritated scowls and grumbles of irritation. While others who had done much less were met with a fist in their face. He was a sort of reluctant protector for her. It was like watching a toddler pull on the ears of a rottweiler. The dog clearly irritated and letting out an occasional growl, was docile as pudgy fingers flitted about its face. The toddler having no concern for the fangs mere inches away from them. The creature was a fluffy ball of fur in their eyes, they did not comprehend that that same creature could become a vicious predator at a moments notice.

Sakura had been naive. When bared his fangs for her to see, it had scared her. It was a foreign feeling to have towards Sasuke, but it was there. He terrified her in that moment. Covered with black markings, red eyes looking unhinged and wild. A sickening smile on his face as he openly took pleasure in violently dismembering a man who had seemed terrifying to her a moment before. The sound ninja who had scared and beaten her looked pathetic in comparison to the boy she had thought she knew so well. Her mind rejected the very image of this monster who shared the same face as Sasuke. She later blamed the curse mark for the violent outburst. But it did not disquiet the fact that somewhere deep within something new had blossomed in Sakura. A tiny part of her learned to fear Sasuke. Feared the part of him that lurked in the darkness. The part of him that was vicious, angry and rip the arms off a man for harming her.

Sakura had been naive. Sasuke was not a protector.

He was a predator.

Still even after witnessing the darkness that lurked with in him. She did not fear him. He could be vicious but it was never directed at her.

The little girl now knew that the dog could be dangerous. It had fangs and claws that could rip its opponent to shreds. But the fluffy creature that let her poke and prod at his muzzle was not a threat to her. Those claws and fangs protected her. Seeing its beastly nature jolted her and frightened her, no longer naive to its violent potential. But she was not afraid of it, the dog could be dangerous but not to her.

It was a very different thing to see that dog become rabid with madness. The girl no longer saw a fluffy creature. She saw fangs and claws, and she felt fear. This dog was not her protector, it was a wild animal who would rip her to shreds given the chance. She feared this dog very much so.

There was a time where that fear had encompassed Sakura. It was a strange and twisted thing to love someone who petrified you. He had tried to kill her. She did not hate or resent him for it. She knew that he was hopelessly lost and a stranger with the face of the boy she once knew. Still she loved him. She wanted to help him and bring him back into the light. She wanted him back at her side with Team 7. The crippling fear she had felt when he attempted to kill her in cold blood without any hesitation, that fear made her never want to see him again.

She had never told Naruto, or anyone for that matter, that she had been plagued with nightmares in the years that followed that day on the bridge. She was haunted by the blind insanity she saw in his eyes. Initially following the encounter she developed panic attacks that robbed her of her breath, left her trembling and gasping for air. Feeling a phantom pain as though his hand was once again clenched around her throat. She startled when she heard the sound of birds and would reflexively whip around in a panicked stupor expecting to see him there brandishing a chidori that would plunge into her chest. She would be left shaken and disoriented upon discovering no one there. The sound of a kunai being drawn made her flinch and the lightening that accompanied a thunderstorm had her hiding in her blankets like a pitiful child. The sight of a red light in the corner of her eye left her frozen in fear. Her mind played tricks to convince her that a pair of those cursed eyes would suddenly emerge from the darkness and paint her walls the same blood red that housed the spinning tomoes. She had smashed her alarm clock one night, horrified by the red glare the numbers emitted in the dark.

With time most symptoms passed, most even disappearing all together. But even after his return to Konoha and departure from darkness, she would still have the occasional nightmare.

She sometimes dreamed of that day, sometimes Naruto would save her, sometimes not. She would dream that he broke into her bedroom, or sometimes her office, and had come to kill her the same madness thriving in his eyes. She dreamed that he would return from his travels and as she ran towards his figure he would plunge his sword into her abdomen with a smile on his beautiful face.

"Thank you." He would say to her as he watched her die.

She woke up screaming after those dreams. Her body would be wracked with horrified sobs and tears would stream down her cheeks in rivulets.

Sakura felt guilty for being afraid of Sasuke. Guilt for her mind conjuring these wicked nightmares featuring a man trying to rid himself of his troubled past. He was trying so hard not become that man ever again. He was trying to put his past behind him and make amends to those he had harmed.

She knew he was no longer that man. She had forgiven him the moment she had seen him lying next to Naruto bleeding from the stump that was now his arm. She knew he would never try to intentionally hurt her. She had seen he had changed and was overjoyed to have him back with them. She would trust Sasuke with her life, and loved him just as much as she had as a child. She did not fear Sasuke. She feared for him. She feared he would once again fall into darkness and become the monster that had haunted her mind.

Sometimes in a moment of her own weakness his raised voice or glaring red eyes, brought her back to a time where she had feared him. A sad dark time where he had not been the man she loved but the monster he had been made into. She did not blame him for what he had done or who he had become. He had suffered so much in his lifetime. It was understandable he would eventually become consumed by anger and misery when fate had shown him nothing else. He was a victim of circumstance and a tool for the misdeeds of others. From a young age he had his innocence ripped away by the very people he had trusted. He was surrounded by people who sought to use him, manipulate his suffering for their own agenda. He was lied to and cheated out of a normal life.

If Sakura knew that he would not have taken great offence to it, she would have pitied him. Instead she admired him. He was strong. In every sense of the word, Sasuke was strong. He fought against the cards he had been dealt, refusing to be pitied or looked down upon. He faced unfathomable hardship that would send lesser men to their graves. He had been broken mentally and physically, yet somehow pieced himself back together. He had cracks in him and pieces missing, literally and figuratively. But Sakura thought that that made him who he was. Like battle scars on a warriors back that communicated words left unspoken; I have been to hell and back, and I have survived.

Sasuke was a survivor. Sasuke was strong. And when he couldn't be, she would be strong for him.

Standing there, she righted herself and looked at the broken man before her, with a newfound determination in her gaze. She would smooth over his cracks and edges, and fill in the spaces he was empty. Even if it killed her she would make him whole.

"You almost killed me once before." She said in a voice barely above a whisper. But he heard it as clearly as if she had shouted the words right next to him.

His body physically jerked as though she had slapped him, his eyes widening and finally meeting her gaze. His form seemed to crumble at her words and his brow furrowed in what she could only assume was agony. She felt a throb of guilt at the effect her words had on him. They had never properly spoken about what had happened in the Land of Iron. It was a sensitive subject that both parties had avoided addressing. She knew he felt guilt and regret. He knew she had never brought it up for his sake. Both knew it was a dark piece of their history neither wished to revisit.

She let out a shaky breath before continuing.

"I was scared of you for a while after that." Her words were like daggers to him, cutting across the room and piercing into his chest.

"I would have nightmares about you. Sometimes I woke up screaming like you do. It's a funny thing to have in common with someone." She continued in a dry dazed tone, finding no actual humour in their shared commonality.

"Sakura shut up." He growled, but it seemed choked and dry, hardly as intimidating as he intended it to be. He wanted her to stop speaking more than anything in that moment. He felt as though he would drown in shame and guilt if she continued. He knew he deserved to hear what ever it was she had to say on the matter, she was entitled to it. But it did not mean he was ready to listen.

"I checked every night that I had locked all my doors and windows because I was terrified you would come to my house and kill me." She continued as though he had not spoken.

"Sakura. Shut. The fuck. Up." He ground out through his clenched teeth. Becoming more irate as she continued to inform him of her plight. It was sickening to hear from her lips how he was the reason for her paranoia.

"What I think scared me the most was-"

"SAKURA STOP IT!" He screamed with frustration. He wanted so badly to run out of the room but could not find the strength in his legs to do so.

She paused her speech at his outburst, her lip quaked briefly as she fought back her own building emotional turmoil. She hated to see him distraught, his normal composure was shattered by grief and she detested being the cause of it. But sometimes things must be broken first in order to be repaired. she shakily began taking small steps towards him as she spoke.

"What scared me the most was that if you did kill me..."

Her approach combined with her words sent his anxiety into record heights.

"Sakura stay the fuck away from me." He barked at her with a sour glare. Still she pressed on.

"If you did kill me, you would always be lost in the darkness... You would lose yourself Sasuke. It's almost unbearable for me to think of you being stuck in the darkness forever. The person I saw that day wasn't someone I knew. I don't think you knew them either. That was the person that scared me, and I think they scare you too."

He stared at her with a bewildered expression, trying to understand the meaning in her words.

"That was a man who was lost in his own grief and anger. I don't resent what happened that day, but I do not forgive you for it."

Sasuke was not naive enough to hope for forgiveness but hearing the words confirm his assumptions still stung like a knife being twisted in his gut.

"I forgive you for running away from us." Her speech becoming jumbled and flustered with holding back tears. "I forgive you for leaving me on that bench. I forgive you for all the heart ache and bullshit you put me and Naruto through. But I do not forgive you for that."

There was a tense silence in the room as she caught her breath.

"I do not forgive you for that day Sasuke because, that was not you. That was not the Sasuke I know and care for. I care for so, so much. You are not and have never been the person on that bridge. And I won't forgive you for something you didn't do."

In flash Sasuke had pinned Sakura against the wall holding her there with a hand against her neck. His fingers lined up perfectly with the bruising, the same appendage had left the night before. His grasp was locked around her neck rigidly but there was no force behind his grip his hand merely resting against the markings, tight and unwavering but applying no pressure.

"I don't know what delusional fantasy you are living Sakura but I can assure you it was me who tried to kill you that day. I would have slit your throat open if Naruto hadn't been there and we both know it." He deadpanned as he held her, eyes glaring angrily into her own. But she seemed unfazed by her vulnerable position. Unwaveringly assured that he would not harm her.

"You are not that person anymore Sasuke." She said quietly, raising a small hand to rest against his own.

"You are kind." she continued slowly peeling away the digits wrapped around her throat. "You are loyal." Feeling no resistance from him she gently continued to remove each finger one at a time. "You are brave. You are strong." He easily succumbed to her ministrations, watching with a careful gaze as she did so. "And you are loved Sasuke." She finished, moving his had to rest at his side.

"The man you are now would never hurt me or anyone else." She calmly whispered, leaning in to rest her head against his shoulder, feeling him slowly begin to do the same. Tilting her head to whisper in his ear as his forehead rested on her shoulder she said;

"I do not forgive you for that day Sasuke. And I do not forgive you for what happened the other night."

Understanding the meaning behind her words he let out a shaky breath. It felt warm and moist against her skin and she struggled to surpass a small shiver as his body relaxed against hers.

"I'm broken Sakura. I don't want to hurt you again."

"We're all a little bit broken Sasuke. Some more so than others... But that doesn't mean we can't be fixed."

The two ninja were silent. Simply resting against one another, breathing in tandem. Neither sure how long they had been there for.

"Someday Sasuke, you will be fixed too."

"Forgive me Sakura." He said so quietly she thought she had imagined it. She let out a small smile before she replied with a whisper of her own.

"I already have."


	11. Chapter 11

He had once thought Naruto would marry Sakura.

Before Hinata and the dobe became an item, he had always figured his two teammates would eventually tie the knot. Their bond was a strong one, forged through camaraderie and shared experience. After the war it was blatantly obvious the two had grown closer, nearly inseparable. Naruto and Sakura, it was almost impossible to mention one without bringing up the other. Naruto and Sakura, Konoha's golden duo. Tied to one another like a knot that could not be unwound through any given force.

He recalled feeling slightly displaced by the dynamics of their new relationship. The girl who had once used the idiot as a punching bag, was now accustomed to slight touches and a friendly arm wrapped around her. No longer repulsed by the blondes affections and pawing, that had irked her so in their younger days. They seemed completely comfortable with one another, exchanging light banter and private jokes with the other came as natural as breathing.

Of course he had expected the two to grow closer. Time strengthening their relationship, teammates growing into something beyond the terms of simple friendship. They cared for and understood one another more than anyone else in their world. So used to the others presence they rarely needed to voice their words, to know what the other was thinking. He remembered a moment after his release from incarceration where the three of them had been at the newly rebuilt ramen stand. Naruto had ordered Sakura's dish without thinking, and she likewise had reached across to pass him the soy sauce before he had even picked up his chopsticks.

It felt strange being the third party to their closeness. He realized that in their eyes he was as equally valued as any other member of Team 7. They cared for him as much as the day he had left. Still, Team 7 was forever changed, their childhood norms and principles were but a fleeting memory. It was impossible to recreate their past, try as they may, too much had happened. They would deny it vehemently, but he knew that in a small way he was an outsider. He would never share the same relationship as the two of them. He would never participate in idle chatter or snicker at an inside joke. He didn't know any jokes, and he was not around to share them.

Seeing their closeness Sasuke felt assured that this friendly exchange would eventually blossom into romance. They surely loved one another, but it seemed platonic in nature. Or at least it had been on Sakura's end. Naruto had always carried a flame for the tiny medic. Positively smitten in their younger years. He flounced around the girl with bright shining eyes, like she was his personal sunshine. Never losing his enthusiasm no matter how many beatings he took. He coddled the girl with sweet words and had no hesitations about shielding her form from danger with his own. He adored her, time had only reaffirmed this notion. Only now she cherished him just as much.

He briefly considered that Naruto no longer cared for her in that manner. Perhaps he had out grown his childhood affection, a fleeting crush that was now pure admiration and trust. He no longer hollered of his feelings for her or made lewd suggestions behind her back. In their genin days Naruto had attempted to drag Sasuke into being a co conspirator in a ridiculous plot to peek on the pinkette during a visit to a bathhouse. Sasuke had felt obligated to dole out punishment to the imbecile in Sakura's wake, and Naruto had spent the rest of the trip nursing a black eye.

Back then Sakura had been the most prominent female figure in Naruto's life, it was natural he would develop some sort of crush. Now however, being heralded as a hero of war had broadened the spectrum of females interested in his attention. Flocks of girls occasionally approached the boy with girlish squeals and doe eyes. Witnessing the spectacle brought back cringe worthy memories of his younger days, where girls would follow him around and screech for his attention. It was like entering a twilight zone where Naruto was trailed by a gaggle of tittering females, and he was now the one who was shunned. Girls rarely approached him after the war in Konoha. His reputation had inspired an uneasy tension around his person. His good looks were overshadowed by fear and contempt. His very presence screamed intimidating. Not that he minded the absence of foolish girls bothering him, it had been annoying.

There was only one person who he wanted to annoy him. That person was special to Sasuke, and she was special to Naruto too. After his release he realized that the dobe was still in love with her. When she wasn't looking the blonde would sometimes stare in her direction. A strangely calm look of contentment on his features. Blue orbs sparkling with a long standing affection. Innocent brushes occasionally bordered on small caresses. The future Hokage seemed to perk up whenever she was around. He knew Naruto still loved her. He deserved to love her. Yet, it somehow bothered him.

The two men had always been competitive. Sakura's affection for Sasuke was like a tiny victory over his rival. It gave him a petty sense of superiority. Naruto may have proven to be his equal on many grounds, but Sakura's love was something that seemed untouchable. In twisted arrogance and bitterness Sasuke thought;

'No matter how strong you become. No matter how many people recognize you. No matter how much you train or grow. You will never have this. You cannot take away this one thing, because it has always belonged to me.'

It was a wicked and shallow train of thought, and he was disgusted with himself for thinking it. But, at the same time it gave him a sick sense of satisfaction. Although this satisfaction was disturbed by the look in his best friends eye. Naruto was not the same scrawny boy who was loud and immature. He was a grown man, with an array of accomplishments, and loved by the people. He was now strong, heroic, widened through his years and occupied a large space in the kunoichi's heart.

He could not deny they deserved to be together. Both chipper, happy people. Morally just and beautiful in every sense of the word. The completed each other perfectly, like two halves of the same whole that completed each other. Like the sun itself and the rays of light that it birthed, while he thrived in darkness. Hiding from the light.

They were people built to care and be cared for. Sasuke did not know how to care. Love, both giving and receiving it, made him uncomfortable. He had only known hate for so long that love seemed foreign.

Sakura deserved someone like Naruto. Someone who could give her everything she wanted from him. He was at least obligated to let her have a chance at doing so. He should have hammered the final nail in the coffin that contained her hopes of a future with him. Sealing their fate as nothing more than comrades. He should have freed her from her feelings. Drawn a line in the sand stating that there was no possibility of a life together. Leaving the village once again, he had considered doing just so. Telling her not to wait for him, allowing her to move on.

But Sasuke was a selfish man. He was not quite ready to part with the pink haired girl at his beck and call. He was not ready to hand Naruto his chance with a blessing. If the dobe wanted it, he could take it from him like a true rival. He would disappear and give him the opportunity to win over his long time crush.

With a poke to a slightly larger than average forehead, he asked her to keep waiting.

And wait she did. She waited for longer than any sane person would. Clinging to a spark of hope that it would not be in vain. She could have been happy with Naruto, he was sure. But still she had waited for him.

The two of them had married in the Spring. It was in a small chapel, located in a quaint little town they had come across on their travels. The ceremony was small and concise, consisting only of a priest and themselves. Her dress had been simple, purchased hastily before entering the church. But she had never looked more beautiful to Sasuke.

On their return to Konoha he and Naruto had spoken of his previous affections once. Now married to the Hyuuga heiress the topic seemed approachable. Giving life to words left unspoken.

"Why didn't you do it?" He had asked, startling his blonde companion.

"Huh? Do what?" Naruto replied, justifiably confused by his normally silent counterpart.

"How come you never married her?" The dark haired man continued. At his words Naruto became flustered. It was an odd thing to have your friend question as to why you never married his wife.

"I have Hinata, you know that! I love her! Sakura-chan is like my sister!" He exclaimed scratching the back of his neck to hide his discomfort with the topic.

"You loved her. I could see it even after the war... You didn't love her like a brother would."

Naruto let out a heavy sigh, becoming sombre. There was no use in being dishonest about his past feelings. He respected Sasuke enough not to try and convince him otherwise.

"Yeah, I loved her. Maybe more than you did at the time. Although maybe that's only because you hadn't realized it yet." He said with a soft chuckle.

"Why didn't you take her then? You could have."

"Because it would have been just that Sasuke. Taking her. We both know she's always been yours. You may be a bastard but you deserve some love brought into your life. She's probably the only one who could have done it."

Sasuke gave a slight nod considering his words. Seemingly satisfied with the answer.

"I won't lie to you though, I did try once."

The words made the Uchiha still.

"It was before Hinata, when you were on your journey for redemption. You had been gone for a year or so and we were all hoping you'd comeback soon. Her most of all. She was so sad Sasuke. Moping around, waiting for you to come home. It made me angry seeing her like that. I was angry that you had kept her waiting." Naruto paused to let his words sink into the avenger for a moment.

"There were plenty of others you know? If she had given them the chance those guys wouldn't have ever made her wait a single second. I was one of them. I told her everything one night. I laid it all out there. Told her I loved her and I was here with her now. Not some fantasy of a future maybe. I wanted to give her something real. I knew how she felt about you, but it was killing her Sasuke."

The Uchiha grimaced at his words, feeling a shudder of guilt course through his system. He knew it had been unfair to keep her on his leash, but he did not regret doing so. He was selfish when it came to her. Selfish because she let him be. And when she grew frustrated with his selfishness he would come back to appease her before the cycle would start once again.

"I asked her to just listen to what I had to say, although I think she already knew what it was. I poured my heart out to her Sasuke. I had loved her for a long time. I guess we had always skirted around it because we both knew the outcome. I asked her to give me a chance to make her happy. Just one chance. It's fucked up but a small part of me felt like I had earned that much. For loving someone for that long, like a bratty kid I thought I at least deserved my shot. It was always you though. You didn't even have to be here and it was still you." Naruto let out a bitter chuckle looking at his friend who remained silent.

"I didn't give her a chance to respond. Maybe I had already know the answer. Before she could say anything I just grabbed her and kissed her."

Seasick felt himself tense at that, a sour expression coming over his features. Sensing his agitation the blonde hurried to continue his tale.

"I'm surprised she didn't send me flying with those fists of hers. I just kissed her and then asked her to meet me in the same spot the next night, before running home."

Next to him Naruto felt Sasuke relax the slightest bit, feeling it was safe to continue.

"The next night came and I was fully prepared to see her. Even if she had only showed up to reject me, at least she knew everything. I figured that she might even go for it out of guilt or something. Not that I would have wanted that but Sakura can be a martyr sometimes, even if it means being unhappy. A messed up part of me could have even lived with that. Even if she didn't love me I would have been there in a heartbeat if she asked. I had my hand on the door but I couldn't bring myself to open it. It just felt... wrong. I felt guilty in a way. Like I was touching something precious that didn't belong to me. You were a million miles away but it seemed as though you were right there over her shoulder, saying this is mine. And I felt like if you lost her you would have had nothing..."

Sasuke couldn't help but agree with his friend. It had once seemed impossible that the tiny doe eyed girl with silly pink hair could become so important to him. But she had done just that. That girl was now his everything. She had given him something he had thought he had lost forever. She had given him a future and a purpose. She had given him a beautiful baby girl with tufts of his own raven locks and dark eyes that reminded him of his mother. He could not imagine his life without them because they were his life.

"I never went to meet her that night. I never found out if she ended up coming, we never talked about it after that. Although a part of me knows she wouldn't have. Maybe I could have made her happy, but I could never have been you. I was hurt for a long time after that. I never let her see it but I think she knew. Things were different between us for a while. It wasn't until Hinata that we got back to normal."

"Do you ever wish it had been her instead of Hinata?" Sasuke questioned in a heavy tone, finally speaking once again.

"I loved her Sasuke but I never would have made her happy. I never would have been happy knowing I couldn't replace you in her heart. I love Hinata and she loves me, and me alone. I'm happy with her, more happy than I can ever remember being. I'm glad we found each other. And I'm glad you found Sakura. The way things are now is best. I love Sakura, but not the same way I once did. She was my first real love, in a way she taught me how to love. I guess she taught both of us how to love when you think about it." He let out a small laugh at the irony of it.

"Aa."

"Besides, as much as you've changed, you're still a selfish prick. Even if we had gotten together I don't think your nearly enough of a martyr to have let it last for long." He chuckled, nudging his arm into the man next to him.

Sasuke chose not to respond.

"I bet it really pisses you off knowing that I kissed her first." Naruto continued his jesting with an impish grin.

Sasuke furrowed his brow at the jibe, before a smug smirk came over his features. Turning towards the blonde with his signature cocky smirk he replied;

"Did you Naruto?"

Feeling satisfied as the idiot stared back breifly shocked at his words. He recalled back to when he had been in captivity after the war. Sakura came to visit him often. Sitting at the edge of his cell, chatting away about nothing in particular for hours on end while he listened. The tone of her voice calmed him and her presence was soothing after being stifled by the dark, damp surroundings of his cell. On one occasion in particular she had fallen asleep against the frigid metal bars. Her head lolled to rest against the cool metal, centring her face perfectly in-between the gap in the bars. Fast asleep she dozed peacefully, unfazed by the fact that a man branded a dangerous criminal was inches away from her vulnerable form. He sat facing her form as she slept, enjoying the feeling of being near the humming of her comforting chakra. Listening to her shallow breathing and trying to remember the lines of her features. He had come to the conclusion that she had grown to be beautiful, if not certainly by societies standards, than by his own.

Perhaps it had been his appreciation for something beautiful in his ugly wretched cell. Perhaps it had been delirium from the constant draining of his chakra. Perhaps he had been overcome by fickle curiosity. But, for whatever the reason eh found himself leaning in towards her resting figure. Letting his forehead rest against the same bar that held the weight of her head he felt the fan of her warm breath centimetres from his face. He wasn't sure if he had simply allowed his head to unconsciously lean in, or it had been her shifting as she slept. Or perhaps some combination of the two. But, for a split second he felt a pair of soft lips brush against his own.

"You bastard." Naruto chuckled shaking his head at his friends smug declaration. "Couldn't even let me have that one could you?"

"Hn." Sasuke grunted with a small snort of his own before muttering, almost so Naruto hadn't heard it.

"Not when it comes to her."


End file.
